Split Down the Seams
by Sahna
Summary: Kurama wakes up one morning to find he has somehow been separated into Yoko and Suichi. As if that weren't enough, someone from Yoko's past shows up and Yoko realizes he could never choose between him and Suichi. Shonen ai. YokoxSuichi, YokoxSurprise
1. Divided

Yoko woke feeling oddly weighed down, and at the same time strangely hollow. He opened his eyes to the cold glare of the morning sun and received a shock. The gentle face, the red hair spilling over those eyes with their long lashes…Suichi was lying with him, head tucked under Yoko's chin. _Wait, then that must mean..._ Yoko raised his arm and stared at his hand, his fully materialized, solid hand. _I'm alive. We…separated? I didn't think it was possible for our bodies to split and—wait. Is Suichi…did he—was his life sacrificed to make this possible…?_ The fox's panic disappeared when Suichi sighed in his sleep, his warm breath tickling Yoko's collarbone. Yoko sighed and rested his hand in the boy's soft hair. _Then he's alive…we both survived intact. But did he keep his soul or was it too fully merged with mine? _He scowled. _Only one way to find out…_ He nudged Suichi's shoulder until his green eyes fluttered open.

"Wh-what—Yoko!" Suichi sat up, meeting Yoko's eyes with his own bewildered gaze. "How-what…I don't understand…what on Earth happened!?"

"I'm not sure," Yoko admitted. "But I'm just glad that somehow we're both still alive and that somehow we both have our souls. I do have a theory, however, as to how this came about."

"…Well?"

The fox smiled, truly glad the boy had bounced back with so much energy. "I think your body finally became too overwhelmed by my demon energy after nineteen years of all the stress I've been putting it through. Somehow, a tiny fragment of your soul must have remained when I took over all those years ago. You've been with me all this time and I never knew, and because I destroyed so much of your soul in that critical developing phase, it took nineteen years for you to grow to your full potential. Once you had, your body identified you as its proper owner and turned against me."

Suichi flushed. "I suppose that makes sense… but if that were true, then how is it I remember everything? The Dark Tournament, Yusuke…all of those are technically _your_ memories. Why is it I have them too?"

Yoko shrugged. "I don't know the answer to that anymore than I know how my old body somehow turned up in your bedroom for my soul to repossess. We probably never will know. All we can do is guess. If you come up with a better explanation let me know, Suichi."

There was a long silence as they both stared at each other. The redhead met Yoko's eyes again. "Parts of your theory make sense…but I don't think you really…took over completely. Yours was a merger, not a possession. Somehow you…integrated my soul into your own, and over time I think that merge must have slowly broken until I split away with part of you and you split away with-with part of me. And then the rest of what you said—about my body rejecting you as its owner and kicking you out—I think that's true. If that makes any sense…"

Yoko reached out to touch Suichi's cheek. "It makes perfect sense, Suichi. I like that one better than my own," he said, grinning as the boy turned a brilliant shade of red. "Now come on. It's far too early for theoretical debates. Let's get some food and come back to this later, OK?"

Still furiously blushing, Suichi nodded and slid off the bed. Yoko watched his retreating figure, his initial shock wearing off and leaving joy in its wake. The fox threw himself backwards on the bed with a laugh, beating his tail against the mattress, solely because he could. He closed his eyes, still smiling, and let the sound flow through his ears; a;; so sharp, so crystalline, he could hear Suichi in the kitchen cracking eggs into a bowl, and the dog next door scratching at a door to be let in. The scent of frying eggs assailed his nose, combined with the bitter stench of car exhaust twenty stories below and the bittersweet scent that heralded a blazing hot summer day.

The fox rolled onto all fours and stretched, catlike, in the beam of sunlight streaming through the window, hearing the creak of long-dormant muscles wakening. _It's good to be alive…_


	2. Yusuke

Suichi didn't look up as Yoko slunk into the kitchen, tilting the frying pan to make the oil spread

Suichi didn't look up as Yoko slunk into the kitchen, tilting the frying pan to make the oil spread. His heart was still racing; waking up in Yoko's arms was the biggest shock he'd ever had. He could feel his hands trembling around the frying pan's rubber handle. Suichi could still feel Yoko's gentle touch to his cheek, still smell the faint aroma of –what else—roses that had greeted him as he awoke.

A sharp crackle and a sting as hot oil splashed his hand snapped the redhead out of his trance. He yelped and let go of the frying pan. It clattered indignantly back on the burner as Suichi rubbed his hand. Yoko opened an eye from his seat at the table.

"You okay, Suichi?" He asked.

Suichi nodded, blushing again, and turned off the stove. _Get a hold of yourself, Suichi. Just because he's choosing to be nice doesn't mean he won't eventually run back to Demon World and break your heart if you let him…_He was in the process of transferring the eggs onto a pair of plates when the doorbell rang.

_Oh, what now?_ Was what he was thinking, but he just sighed and said, "Who the hell is paying housecalls this early? Whatever, I'll get it. Feel free to help yourself, Yoko." Suichi's heart flip-flopped when the fox flashed him another one of those gorgeous smiles. He escaped the kitchen and waited for the color to drain once more from his face.

The doorbell clanged angrily and the redhead sighed again. "Coming…" he said, opening the door . "May I hel—Yusuke!" Suichi's heart was doing jumping jacks again. It was the second shock of the day and it wasn't even ten in the morning yet. He frowned. "Yusuke, what on Earth happened to you?" Suichi eyed the red mark marring the ex-detective's left cheek.

Yusuke grinned sheepishly. "I swear that girl hits harder every time," he said laughing. Suichi sighed, but let Yusuke continue. "Anyway, Mom's not answering the door—she's probably out cold on the floor—and Kuwabara's outta town. Can I crash hear until Keiko cools off a bit?"

"Uhm…" Suichi looked over his shoulder. "Normally I'd say yes but…unfortunately there is now someone else who has to agree…" He felt himself turning red again as Yusuke's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and the grin threatened to spread. "N-Not like that, Yusuke. It's just that—well—something's come up and—"

"Are you going to continue babbling or should I just tell him myself?" Yoko appeared in the kitchen, plate in hand.

Yusuke was so startled he tried to take a step backward with both feet at once and ended up flat on his back. He sat up and stared at Yoko. "But-but-how-you're-he's….hunh?"

Suichi burst into giggles at the look on Yusuke's face, and heard Yoko snickering while trying to pretend he wasn't. "To tell you the truth, Yusuke," he gasped, pulling himself back under control, "we don't really know what happened, either."

"So then whi—" Yusuke's voice cracked horribly, and he stopped to clear his throat. "Which one of you is the real Kurama?"

Yoko hid his laughter behind a pretty convincing cough. "We both are. We each retained all the memories."

Yusuke got up off the floor and leaned against the doorframe. "So wait. There's two of you, but really there's only one of you but it only looks like two because there were never two of you to begin with, only one, but now the one somehow became two and now Yoko Kurama is standing in Kurama's living room, right?"

Suichi sighed. "Something like that, yes, Yusuke."

"Oh." The boy blinked a few times. "I think my brain just broke…"

Suichi laughed again. "If Yoko has no objection you're welcome to stay as long as you need, Yusuke," he said, glancing at the fox in question.

He had to swallow, hard, as Yoko licked egg yolk slowly off his fingers. _Damn him…is he doing this to me on purpose or…?_ The fox shrugged his elegant shoulders and said, "I don't care. Do as you wish."

Suichi looked back at Yusuke. "Well, there you have it Yusuke. Please, come in."

"Sweet," Yusuke said, kicking off his shoes. "Thanks, Kura—er, Sui—er, Kur—"

Suichi laughed again. "Either one is fine, Yusuke. Tell me, how did you manage to anger Keiko at nine in the morning?"

Yusuke grinned again. "I—uh—walked into the bathroom while she was in the shower… But I didn't realize she was in there, I swear!"

"Whatever you say, Yusuke," Suichi was skeptical, but he knew better than to try and argue. _I would have kicked him out too...although I can't see what he was doing at her house. Maybe he couldn't get into his own…_

"So, whatcha gonna tell your mom?" Yusuke asked, effectively bringing the redhead back to Earth. "You know, about the guy suddenly living with you that she's never seen before in her life?"

Suichi turned pink again, hating himself for it too. "I'm not sure…I suppose I'll have to think of something soon, though, won't I?" He changed the subject, wanting to keep his thoughts as far away from Yoko as possible. "Would you like some breakfast, Yusuke?"

"Hey, food, awesome! Thanks, Kurama." He followed Suichi into the kitchen, where Yoko had thoughtfully put the lid on the frying pan to keep the eggs warm. Suichi smiled briefly at the fox before tipping the last two onto a plate and handing it to Yusuke.

"There's some toast in the toaster if you want it," Yoko said, not moving from his perch on the countertop.

"Uh, thanks," Yusuke replied, grabbing the toast as it popped up. Suichi turned the gas back on and cracked another two eggs into the pan, piercing the heavy silence once more with the sizzle of frying eggs.

"Not to be rude," Yusuke muttered suddenly, "but this is _really_ awkward."

Suichi sighed. _I wish he wouldn't be so aloof. Yusuke's right; there's something between us that's keeping us from being able to have a normal conversation. Perhaps it's only because we're both still adjusting. It has only been an hour, after all._ He turned off the gas again, gloomily sympathizing with the ancient stove's pained groan.

He had just sat down with his long-awaited breakfast when someone pounded hard enough on the door to rattle its hinges. Yusuke flinched, and Suichi got up to get the door. He felt a hand grab his shoulder and push him gently back into his chair, and looked up at Yoko.

"Stay and eat. I'll get it this time," the fox growled, looking as annoyed as Suichi felt.

"But…what if someone recognizes..." Suichi's protests fell on deaf ears. Yoko was halfway to the living room.

Yusuke groaned and slouched further in his chair. Suichi opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when he heard for himself.

"_YUSUKE, YOU JERK!!"_ Keiko stormed into the kitchen. "I chased you all over the city! Did you think you could run from me, you—you—" she stopped, staring at Suichi's face. "Wait, if you're here, then who answered the door?"

"You know you really should take your shoes off when you come inside." Yoko chastised her from the living room. Keiko turned around, confusion swiftly replacing rage. "But…what…I thought you…"

Suichi got up. "It's a long story, and neither of us actually knows what that story is…" _This is going to become very tedious very quickly_, he realized, sighing yet again. "But there's two of us, somehow."

Keiko sighed too, remembered she was angry, and turned back to Yusuke. "As for _you_, " she growled, "you're coming with me."

"Yes, Keiko," Yusuke mumbled getting up. He grinned apologetically at Suichi. "Sorry for all the trouble, Kurama. And thanks for breakfast, too. See ya later…I hope."

Suichi sat back down and finally started on his breakfast. Yoko came back in and resettled himself on the counter. "He raised a good point," the fox said. "What are we going to tell Mother?"

Suichi blinked. '_Mother'…?_ "I-I don't know, Yoko," he responded.

After a long pause, Yoko got down of the counter. "Suichi," he said, hesitating once more. "Don't you think—don't you think it's time she knew the truth?"

The redhead snorted. "That would go over well. 'Hello, Mother. This is the second half of what used to be your son. Now there are two of us! Oh, and he's a demon who can turn flowers into weapons.' She'd throw us in an insane asylum, Yoko. Any sane person would." Suichi realized he had made the mistake of meeting those piercing gold eyes. He couldn't look away, never mind move, as Yoko prowled closer to him, a hint of danger sparkling in his eyes.


	3. Confessions

_It is way too easy and way too much fun to tease him,_ Yoko thought, still holding the redhead's gaze. But he could detect a faint aroma of fear radiating from Suichi's body, and sighed, pulling his eyes away and grabbing the second chair instead. _Perhaps I should back off a little if I'm frightening him…_ He forced himself back to the topic at hand.

"Suichi, maybe you have a point. Maybe she will try and put us in the loony bin, but I think she still deserves to know what her son is—was." Yoko bit back an agitated growl. Suichi was staring at his knees, face aflame. The fox gave up at trying to catch the boy's gaze, and said, "Besides, if she does try and lock us up, I'll just break us right back out again, I promise."

That, at least, drew a smile from him. Suichi looked up again, his lashes fluttering. "Thanks, I suppose," he whispered. "But I don't plan on letting her try in the first place…"

"Don't you trust your own mother, Suichi?" Yoko asked. "I know I trust her, and she's just as much of a mother to me as she is to you."

The fox knew something was wrong when Suichi stood up so fast his chair skid backwards and then fell over. Suichi turned his back on Yoko, putting his plate in the sink. "Do we have to talk about this _now_, Yoko?" he whispered.

Yoko stood, waiting for the redhead to turn around. When he did, Yoko laid his hands on Suichi's shoulders, feeling the boy freeze solid under his touch. "If you won't talk about that, then will you at least talk about whatever it is that's bothering you so much?" Suichi was silent for a long time, staring at his feet. Yoko took Suichi's chin and gently lifted it. "Please look at me, Suichi," he whispered. Reluctantly those wary green eyes lifted and met Yoko's. "Talk to me. What's wrong?" The fox murmured.

Suichi lowered his eyes. "I—I just…" he fidgeted, that adorable blush fighting its way back onto the boy's face. "I know one day you'll want to go home…back to the Makai…and I—I know it's selfish but I don't want you to!"

"Suichi…what reason do I have to go back to the demon world right now?" Yoko whispered. "Thanks to you, I have far too much of a guilty conscience to go thieving again, and it's not like there's anybody there who matters to me, not anymore anyway." He paused for a moment, fighting the tear-jerk reflex that always came with that memory. "So I'm not going to vanish on you, Suichi. Please stop worrying."

The fox stumbled backwards as Suichi collapsed into his chest, trembling with tears. Alarmed, Yoko draped his arms over the boy's shoulders. "It's just—well, you've always sort of been here, Yoko," Suichi hiccoughed. "Even when I—we—were a little kid…whenever I was upset or scared I could just close my eyes and there would be something, some…presence…holding me and protecting me, even before I realized you existed. And then I could put a face to that presence even though you hadn't realized I was a separate part of you…and then we went through Mother's illness and met Yusuke and fought Sensui…I don't know what I'd do if you suddenly weren't here anymore!"

Yoko spent a long time blinking back tears, deeply touched. Finally he managed to whisper, "I'll always be here, Suichi, I promise. I'm not going anywhere, but…"

"But what?" Suichi asked, a little panicked.

"But…don't you blame me?" Yoko whispered, voicing the guilt that had been gnawing at him all morning. "Don't you blame me for just about everything that's happened? Mother's illness, the demon powers…aren't I the one responsible? Isn't it all my fault?"

Suichi stared at him for a moment. "You really did come away with a guilt complex, didn't you?" he said with a tiny smile. Yoko snorted, too proud to admit how ashamed of himself he was. Suichi rested his head on Yoko's chest. "Of course you're partially responsible,—well, mostly responsible—for all that's happened, I won't deny that. But at the same time, without you I never would have met Hiei or Yusuke or Kuwabara…an entire piece of my life would have never happened. And yes, it was no cakewalk but I think I prefer having gone through all that then the alternative of never knowing such good friends…" The redhead looked back up at Yoko. "So really, I'm grateful to you."

Yoko smiled, immensely relieved. "You were so…distraught that I was beginning to think you were angry at me, or worse, that you hated me for some reason," he admitted.

Suichi shook his head. "Is that why you kept…teasing me?" he mumbled, blushing even more.

The fox grinned wickedly. "No, I was teasing you because it's just way too much fun," he growled.

"You can be such a jerk sometimes, you know that?" Suichi scowled at the fox's grinning face.

Yoko laughed and let his arms slide from the boy's shoulder's as Suichi pulled away. _Actually Suichi I was teasing you to gauge your reaction. I need to be sure that you've accepted whatever feelings towards me you may have before I go ahead and break your heart…It will hurt more, yes, but in the long run you'll be glad I let you fall in love and then turned you down and didn't try to stop you from falling in the first place. You would only cause yourself more pain by trying to prevent the inevitable; what's more I would have to restrain both myself and you from getting too close. _ Yoko took a deep breath, once more fighting away tears._ I'm so sorry, Suichi. I don't want to hurt you…but I can't break my promise, I just can't._ That destructive line of thinking led Yoko back through the past two thousand years to that one horrid night when his heart had shattered into a trillion tiny shards and was bourn away on the night breeze. What was left had hardened into stone as hard as diamond and as cold as ice. The warmth that was Suichi had melted him, made him remember what it was to feel things again, but with that had returned the gaping chasm in his heart, its edges as raw and painful as they had been when dawn had finally broken that long, cold night two thousand years ago.


	4. Shared Emotions

Suichi was delighted. Apparently he had not shared some of Yoko's memories, but also some of his demon energy. He had found a seed in his hair and now it was a tiny sprout in the cupped palm of his hand. The redhead turned to show the fox.

"Yoko, lo—" He stopped. Yoko was staring straight at him, clearly blind to anything in the now. His eyes were gone, lost in some faraway memory, a memory that was causing the fox a great deal of pain. As a lance of pain shot its way through the boy's own heart, Suichi could feel tears pawing at his own eyes and wondered if they somehow could share emotions as well. At that moment, he didn't care; he grabbed Yoko's hand in an attempt to get the fox to return to the present.

Yoko blinked once, twice, before finally coming around. He glanced down at the hand Suichi still held clenched in his own. Suichi let go, blushing again, but he met the fox's eyes long enough to notice how tired he suddenly looked.

"Yoko, are you alright?" Suichi whispered, now the one who was worried.

Yoko smiled a little. "It's nothing, Suichi. Just…" he paused, whether ashamed or just searching for words Suichi couldn't tell. "It's just that suddenly my emotions are so much sharper, so much more tangible, now that they're not tangled with yours. And memories that should have been conquered long ago have come back to haunt me again…" His roaming eyes landed on the sprout in Suichi's hands. "How did you…? Did you-can you somehow…?"

Suichi smiled. "I think we've separated less completely than we first thought, Yoko. It seems I have some of your abilities." _And possibly some of your emotions…_

The black shroud around the fox's shoulders faded. "Interesting," he murmured. "I wonder if that's why I suddenly have all this guilt—I got it from you." He paused, throwing a perturbed look at Suichi. "Damn you and your silly human emotions…"

Suichi laughed. _As sappy as it sounds, I guess Yoko really is a part of me, and I of him. So even if he does leave he wouldn't be gone, not really. That's good to know…_ He was jerked out of his thoughts as Yoko started talking again.

"—wonder what else you've inherited from me," he said. "You gave me guilt, regret, and compassion; I've given you demon powers and the memories of our human life. I guess we'll just have to wait to see what else we now share."

Suichi shifted, knowing he should say something. He sighed. "Actually, Yoko, there is one more thing…"

_Was it me, or did he look rather alarmed for a second…?_ Yoko locked eyes with him. "What?"

"Well, just now…when you were…remembering whatever it was you were remembering, I—" The redhead hesitated, but decided that he'd might as well go all the way now that he had started. "I could have sworn I felt something…a sense of loss, sadness, I don't know what. And maybe it was just me, but I think…I think we might somehow know what the other is feeling. I think we can read each other's emotions." Yoko's eyes widened a little, and Suichi hastened to quell his fears. "Not—not all of them, I don't think. Just when one of us is really upset or afraid. Like right now I could tell you got really scared when I said we could read each other's emotions even though you didn't outwardly seem to be afraid…"

"I see," Yoko said slowly. Suichi could almost see the wheels in the fox's head churning. "I suppose that's only fair," he muttered, but he still looked troubled.

"Come again?"

Yoko looked up. "Well, the thing is, Suichi, you couldn't hide your emotions from me no matter how hard you tried." Suichi opened his mouth, a protest on the tip of his tongue, but the fox held up a hand. "Not because you're too obvious with them. It's not you, it's me. Humans are far too easy to read because they can't control the chemical signals they release when their emotions change. To a demon's nose it's as clear as day when you're even the tiniest bit upset or afraid."

Suichi nodded. "So you were saying it's only fair that, since you know how I feel, that there be some way for me to discern what you're feeling, right?"

Yoko nodded, a dejected whine barely escaping his throat. "It may be fair but I still don't like it…" He grinned sheepishly at Suichi. "You know me; I have more pride than I know what to do with. I hate it when people know I'm upset and I really hate it when people know I'm afraid." He glanced at Suichi. "But now it won't matter how much I control the chemical signals; you'll _still _know."

Suichi's mind was still racing. _If he can read my emotions then he must know about my little crush…then again, I was making myself fairly obvious, gawking at him like a horny schoolgirl. _He scowled a little. _Still, it's not just that he's drop-dead gorgeous…both this morning and back there in the kitchen when he'd held me, I—if it's possible to fall in love in the space of a morning then that's most certainly what happened. I'm sure he's aware of that, too. So why doesn't he say anything? Is he waiting for me to say something first?_ Suichi sighed. _Unfortunately I think he kept all the confidence; I don't know if I could ever work up the balls to tell him how I feel._

"Did you know you're blushing again, Suichi?" Yoko drawled. The redhead felt his face heat up even more. "That reflex is going to lead to awkward questions from those who knew you as the calm, collected, and confident Suichi Minamino unless you do something to control it." The fox admonished gently.

Now fighting to control the rush of blood to his cheeks, Suichi nodded. "I know. I was just thinking that you somehow ended up with all the confidence and left me as a flustered, shy little child…"

"You forgot to mention 'adorable.'"

Suichi was certain his cheeks would start leaking blood at any moment. The fox's voice was so quiet, so gentle, it ignited a tiny spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a possibility that Yoko returned Suichi's feelings. The redhead raised his eyes and met Yoko's. "Y-Yoko…"

Suichi could see the fox's barriers come tumbling down. Yoko inched closer, cupping one broiling hot cheek in his hand. "Damnit, Suichi, if you're not the most beautiful, exquisite creature I've ever seen in my life…"

Unconsciously Suichi had been backing up as Yoko approached. Now his hips collided with the back of the sofa. Fully under the hypnotic spell of the fox's intense golden gaze, Suichi levered himself onto the back of the sofa, feeling his legs slowly turning to mush. Yoko's thumb slid across the boy's face, settling on his lower lip and gently tracing it.

Coherent thought melted away with that one little caress. Suichi whimpered, frozen to the back of the sofa, eyes locked with Yoko's. His heart drowned out even the cars outside, thumping madly against his ribcage. His breath came fast and hard, his blood seared in his veins. Yoko's face got closer, the fox's warm breath ruffling Suichi's hair, playing across his face. The hand on the redhead's cheek slid down the side of Suichi's neck and came to rest on his shoulder. Suichi could taste Yoko's breath now, and closed his eyes, waiting.

Suddenly the fox exhaled sharply, his hand slid from Suichi's shoulder. Suichi opened his eyes in time to see Yoko pull away and turn his back on him. "God damn it," the fox swore, his fist clenching.

"Yoko, what—" Suichi whimpered. _I don't understand…did I do something wrong?_

"I'm need to go," Yoko said shortly, still not looking at the redhead.

Suichi slid off the back of the sofa, trying not to panic. "G-go where? What happened, is something wrong?" he asked taking Yoko's hand.

The fox yanked his hand back. "Nothing's wrong. I just—I need to clear my head." Without once looking at Suichi, Yoko vanished out the living room window, leaving the redhead standing at the window extremely baffled and slightly hurt.

* * *

Neither noticed the figure hiding in the dark safety of a nearby tree. He watched Yoko flee the apartment, one arm draped over one raised knee. His black brows came together in a scowl, although a smile played across his lips. "As foolish as always, my fox," he whispered.

* * *


	5. Yoko's Promise

The warm summer sun soothed the fox's turbulent mind as he sought refuge in the soft grass of a public park. _Damn it all and back again, why can't I control myself!? I know for sure the boy is in love with me and I promised myself I wouldn't lead him to think it was mutual…and I go and come this close to kissing him and then run away like the pansy I am…_ Yoko leaned back against the tree he was under and stared up into its branches. _Perhaps I should confront him now, before this blows into a bigger deal then I've already made it. Surely he's realized his feelings by now; he's just too shy to say anything to me. But damn did he fall fast…I wasn't expecting to have to break his heart so soon, but I can't let myself fall in love. I _won't _let myself fall in love! I just—need to stay away for a little while. This is all happening so damn fast I can't control myself. We both need some time to cool off…_ That's what Yoko told himself, but he knew the real truth. He just wanted to delay the inevitable confrontation with Suichi for as long as possible.

* * *

_You're a coward, Yoko Kurama, there's nothing more to it._ The fox was prowling nervously on the roof of Suichi's building two days later, trying to work up the nerve to go in there. He felt horrible because he knew how much he'd hurt Suichi's feelings by running away and not coming back for two days, and he felt even more horrible for what he knew he now had to do.

He looked up at the moon, full and round, and sighed. "Forgive me, Suichi…" he whispered. Yoko leapt of the roof and landed neatly on the balcony of Suichi's bedroom. The boy let loose a tiny shriek and nearly dropped the mug of iced tea in his hands. He ran to the door and opened it, nearly crying with relief.

"Yoko! Where on Earth were you!? I was so worried…" Suichi cried as Yoko came inside.

The fox smiled. "Relax, Suichi, you know perfectly well I can take care of myself.Suichi looked down. "No, I meant I was worried that—that you wouldn't come back…"

Yoko lay a hand on the boy's head. "Suichi, I promised you I wouldn't leave, and I don't break my promises." _Which is exactly how I got myself into this mess in the first place._ With another grateful cry Suichi collapsed onto Yoko's chest, wrapping his slender arms around the fox. Yoko resisted the urge to squirm away. _Suichi, you're only making this so much harder for me…_ He sighed, stroking the boy's hair but refusing to return the embrace. "Just say it, Suichi," he whispered. "Say it and get it over with; it's not like I don't already know."

The redhead buried his face in Yoko's chest and was quiet for a long time. Yoko was about to repeat his request when Suichi lifted his face and met the fox's eyes. "I—I love you, Yoko," he whispered.

Yoko let out his breath, slowly. "Come sit with me on the bed, Suichi." The human turned crimson, but nodded and sat down next to him. Yoko closed his eyes to block out the look on Suichi's face and started talking. "A long time ago, I had a mate, a demon I loved with every inch of my soul. I loved him so much it hurt." The fox paused, trying to banish the pain swelling up in his heart.

"W-What happened?" Suichi asked, eyes wide.

"He was killed," Yoko whispered. "We were out on a raid and he got caught in a trap and gave his life so I could escape with mine…" The fox was forced to stop as his voice wavered horribly. He turned away from Suichi so the boy wouldn't see the tears threatening to escape from under his closed eyelids. He fought with his emotions for a long time, forcing back the tears and cramming the pain into a dark corner of his mind. Finally the fox opened his eyes and looked back at Suichi.

"I'm so sorry, Yoko," Suichi whispered. The fox could tell he meant it and it didn't make the next part of his story any easier to tell.

"Thanks," he whispered. "But what matters now is what happened after he died." The fox hesitated one last time. "I locked myself in the house, curled up in a ball and cried, and I stayed that way for a year and a half until I had that classic epiphany: Kuronue died so I could live, not so I would spend the rest of my life in misery. So I pulled myself together, took what I needed and burned the house down, but before I did that, I made a promise to myself. I swore that no matter what happened I—I wouldn't let myself fall in love with anyone ever again, that what I promised Kuronue would remain true, I would love him for the rest of eternity." Yoko glanced at Suichi. "Do you—do you see where I'm going with this?"

Miraculously, Suichi's eyes were dry. "Y-You're rejecting me, aren't you?" he whispered, without a hint of a quaver.

Yoko met his eyes miserably. "I'm so sorry, Suichi. I didn't ever mean to hurt you, I promise."

"Yoko, it's okay," Suichi said quietly. "I understand…" He closed his eyes, and the tears he'd clearly been trying so hard to restrain trickled down his face. "Damnit…"

The fox's own heart ached just looking at him. "Suichi…there's a few ways we can handle this," he whispered, "and I'm willing to go with whichever one will make this any easier on you. We can just go on the way we were and pretend like this never happened, or…I mean, I'm not forbidding you from being in love with _me_ even if I can't return it, and I'm willing to stick around and just let you lie in my arms, or whatever; hell, I'd even understand if you never want to see me again, as long as I can do something to ease some of your pain, Suichi." He reached out to stroke that beautiful hair again. Suichi was quiet, tears still rolling down his face, shoulders trembling in an attempt to hold back his sobs. Yoko sighed, and ceased his petting. "Should I leave now and give you until tomorrow to figure out what you want?" he whispered. Suichi nodded, his choked breaths only making Yoko feel more like a traitor than he already did.

Yoko stood and turned towards the balcony door once more. He looked back over his shoulder at the slumped figure on the bed. "Just promise me you won't try and commit suicide or something before I come back," he asked. Suichi nodded again, and with a last choked apology, Yoko left.

* * *

When Yoko returned the following day, he found Suichi calmly finishing his homework. The redhead looked up at the tap on the glass and, to Yoko's utter disbelief, smiled before standing and opening the door.

"I was wondering when you'd get around to coming back," he said, eyes bright once more. The only evidence of the previous night was the dark circles that marked a sleepless night.

_I wonder if this means he wants to pretend nothing happened…_Yoko mused. He met Suichi's eyes. "Did you decide?" he asked, sitting down on the bed again.

Suichi joined him and laid his head on the fox's shoulder. "I did," he whispered. "And I knew immediately I couldn't never see you again. I felt so empty without you, like half of me was missing, and I don't want to live with that the rest of my life. And I'm not shallow nor desperate enough to try and pretend nothing happened, so that left the third option."

It took Yoko a moment to realize what Suichi was saying. He blinked. _It seems to me that would make it hurt more if I were to display affection that we both knew meant nothing…but if it's what he wants…_ "Are you sure, Suichi? Are you sure you want my…empty affection?"

Suichi closed his eyes and shook his head. "How can you call it empty, Yoko? I'm not blind; I know how much it hurt you, how hard it was for you to break my heart. That means you must care about me at least a little, right? I must mean _something_ to you if it hurt you so much…"

Yoko pulled the redhead into his arms, burying his face in Suichi's hair. "Of course I care about you, Suichi. How could I not? You're so much a part of who I am…and without you I would have died…even if I'm not in love with you, that doesn't mean you're not the most important person in my life right now," he muttered into Suichi's hair.

Suichi closed his eyes and tucked his head under Yoko's chin. "Then hold me, kiss me, do whatever, as long as you mean it," he mumbled. "I want to know you care…even if it's not love I'd much rather have it this way then live the rest of my life without your arms to cry in."

Yoko laid his cheek on Suichi's head. "Cry all you want, Suichi," he whispered.


	6. Back from the dead?

Yoko pet Suichi's head, watching the wind ruffle the leaves of the tree outside the window. The redhead mumbled in his sleep and pressed his nose further into Yoko's neck. Yoko smiled, content to lie there and hold him until he fell asleep himself. But that was getting harder and harder to do.

The fox couldn't get Kuronue off his mind. He would hold Suichi to him and be eerily reminded of how Kuronue used to hold _him_. He closed his eyes, letting himself slide into a dream state, imagining he could feel Kuronue's arms sliding over his shoulders, sharp teeth nibbling playfully on Yoko's jaw. Yoko turned his head to the side, inhaling that bitter, earthy scent that was his lover. He felt his guard slipping in the illusion of protection he was spiraling into.

"My fox…" the illusion whispered, burying its face in Yoko's hair. "Damn I've missed you…"

Yoko smiled and whined happily. Mid whine his brow furrowed. _Wait…what? Why would an illusion miss me…?_ He forced his eyes open and blinked away the darkness, suddenly aware there was someone else in the room. _I let myself drop my guard…like I used to with the real Kuronue…_ The fox sat up, gently laying Suichi on the bed next to him, before staring into the darkness, trying to adjust to the dim light.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He growled, aware the intruder was a demon.

"Don't you remember, my fox?" Light shone from the windowsill, illuminating the demon's face.

Yoko bit back a yelp. His illusions had materialized in front of him. The fox felt his own eyes widen in shock as they met the slightly anxious lavender pair. "But—but that's impossible! I saw you die with my own eyes, I—" he pulled himself back together, eyes narrowing once more. "Who are you, really? How dare you try and trick me by taking Kuronue's shape!"  
"Yoko, you idiot, it's _me_," that jarringly familiar voice laughed.

"Prove it," the fox hissed.

The demon heaved a loud sigh. "Impossible as ever, I see," he growled. "Very well. Your favorite color is blue; your favorite food is roasted ox; you wish I would wear my hair down more often, and your birthday is the twenty-fifth of July. Satisfied?"

"It—it really _is_ you…" Yoko whispered, his voice shaking. "Kuro—_Kuronue!!"_ In a second he was across the room, his face buried in Kuronue's shoulder.

"My fox…I finally found you again…my idiot fox…" Kuronue held Yoko to him like he never planned on letting go.

Yoko pulled away from Kuronue's shoulder and, with an overjoyed whimper, kissed him, feeling the two thousand empty years shrinking rapidly away into meaningless nothing. He pulled away, panting, and met his old lover's eyes. "Still a shrimp, I see," he growled.

Kuronue glared at him. "Still a jerk, I see," he grumbled back. "I'm only a few inches shorter than you, you seven-foot freak."

The fox laughed, burying his face in Kuronue's hair. He closed his eyes. "What happened? I could have sworn you died...how the hell did you survive?"

The bat grinned impishly. "It takes a lot more than that to kill me off, apparently," he said. "But for all it's worth I thought I was done for too. And I would have been too, if…"

"…If what?"

Kuronue sighed. "Remember that cat girl who sold us her house? Luckily for me her new house was about two hundred yards from where I fell. She had heard the noise and come over to see what was up. She must've recognized me and for some reason decided to take me home and nurse me back to health. It took thirty years before I could even fight again, and even then I was pretty pathetic. The moment I could I naturally went looking for you, following each and every lead I had, no matter how obscure, but you always evaded me at every turn." He stopped, meeting Yoko's eyes once more. "It took me a damn long time but I finally found you again, fox," he whispered.

Yoko had laid his head back on Kuronue's shoulder. He smiled, nodding sleepily, suddenly exhausted after the shock he'd received. He closed his eyes and yawned, leaning against Kuronue.

Kuronue tweaked Yoko's ear, drawing a loud squeal from the fox. "Get off, Yoko," he growled. "You're heavy…" The fox was about to start pouting when Suichi stirred and then sat up, awakened by the yelp of pain.

"Y-Yoko, what's wrong?" the redhead mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

The fox flinched. _I hate to say it but I completely forgot about Suichi…I have to tread carefully so I don't hurt him more than I already have._ He shifted his weight back to his own feet and moved to turn on the lamp on the night table. Over Suichi's groan of protest he said, "Suichi…there's someone you need to meet."The redhead opened one eye against the glare as Yoko pulled Kuronue into the light. "Apparently I was mistaken when I told you Kuronue was killed," the fox whispered. "He never died, and now he's finally come back…Suichi, this-this is Kuronue. Kuro, meet Suichi…my other half."

"Pleasure to meet you," Kuronue said, clearly distracted. "Yoko…what the hell d'you mean your 'other half'?"

"It's a long story…suffice it to say that I got myself shot on a raid one day and would have died had I not escaped to human world to merge with the body of an unborn child…who turned into Suichi. About a week ago we somehow separated."

Kuronue stared at him. "…idiot," he sighed. His gaze shifted back to Suichi. "I hope he hasn't caused you any trouble, Suichi," he said, a smile teasing his lips. "I know how high-maintenance he can be…"

Yoko felt his fur prickle angrily. "_High maintenance!?_ You son of a…" The fox flushed, hearing Suichi's drowsy giggle. "You'll pay for that, Kuronue…" he growled.

Kuronue ignored him, still watching Suichi. "I hope I wasn't…disturbing anything, was I?"

Suichi turned the most magnificent shade of red Yoko had seen yet and shook his head. "I—we—I mean—that is, I—" the boy stammered incoherently. Suichi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We're not—we're just friends, Yoko and I," he explained once he was able to pull together a complete thought. "Well, maybe a little more than friends but not quite…lovers. Somewhere in between."

Suichi could not see Kuronue's eyebrow rise ever so slightly, but Yoko could. He shifted uneasily, knowing what the bat must be thinking. The old Yoko Kurama—the one Kuronue knew—would have seduced, slept with, and abandoned someone as attractive as Suichi within the span of a single day. He wouldn't have let anything as silly as emotions would have gotten in the way..

The redhead yawned and pushed the blankets away. He did not meet either of their gaze as he said, "I suppose you would want to spend the rest of tonight alone together, so I'll just…sleep in the guest room. He got out of bed, even as Yoko raised a protest, sensing something off-kilter.

"Wait…Suichi," the fox whispered, "why should you be the one to have to move? We're the ones intruding, after all; shouldn't _we_ go to the guest room?"

Still not looking at either of them, Suichi shook his head. "It's fine, Yoko. Good night."

For a brief second, the fox swore he felt a fierce ache grip his heart, and then it was gone. He blinked, unable to banish the thought that Suichi was upset about something. Kuronue's hand landing on his shoulder did the job for him.

"Yoko…what's gotten into you?" the bat whispered. "Don't tell me my coldhearted jackass is actually taking someone else's emotions into consideration!"

The fox sighed and dropped onto the bed. "First off, Suichi isn't 'someone else,' at least, not really. We were one and the same for so long that hurting him is like hurting myself. Not only that, when we separated, we didn't separate completely. I came away with part of him and he with a part of me. And even if I didn't get compassion and guilt and all those other stupid human things from him…I've changed, Kuronue. Just being here in the human world has caused me to rethink so much of what I once believed. Everything is…so much different through human eyes."

Kuronue's arms found their way around Yoko's shoulders and the fox leaned back into the demon's chest, closing his eyes and turning his head to rest his cheek on Kuronue's rough vest. "Goddamn it I missed you so much…" he whispered. "Your absence never stopped hurting, not once during two thousand years did I not want you back, holding me to you like you are now…" he felt tears escaping his control and found he didn't care.

"What's this? The mighty Yoko Kurama, in tears?" Kuronue joked affectionately. He ran his hand through his fox's hair and sat down with him on the bed. Yoko curled up against his chest once more, tears rapidly soaking Kuronue's shirt.

"I never…stopped loving you, Kuro," the fox whispered. He felt Kuronue tense a little but ignored it. "I love you as much now as I did then! I was right to make that vow and even more right to keep it…"

"…What vow, fox?" Kuronue murmured, sounding worried.

Yoko sniffed. "When you died—or when I thought you had died—I swore that, in honor of the promise I'd made to you again and again, that I'd love you 'til the end of time and then some, I would not let myself fall in love again. Ever."

There was a long moment of silence, which Yoko misinterpreted entirely. Kuronue spoke, his voice trembling a little. "And…you kept that promise, did you? Didn't let yourself love anyone else?" The fox nodded and Kuronue let out a long sigh. "You're even more of an idiot than I thought possible!" he growled, not joking and sounding truly annoyed.

Yoko pulled away from him, confused. "What…?"

"Didn't you ever _wonder_ why my absence never ceased hurting? Why the pain never even lessened?" The bat said, glaring. He continued, not waiting for the fox to answer. "It's because you never let yourself heal! By prohibiting yourself from loving someone else you stubbornly and stupidly remained attached to my memory, unable to let go and move on. If you'd let yourself fall in love again then you automatically would have had to let go of the love you had for me; had to take some of the energy you devoted to remembering me to loving someone else. And with time, your pain would have eased as you moved on. But you _didn't_ move on and so those wounds were never able to close properly." He paused, and sighed again. "I'd thought you were smarter than that, Yoko. I was honestly hoping—and expecting—to find you happily in a relationship, and with your feelings for me not forgotten but tucked away somewhere safe, where they couldn't hurt you. I thought two thousand years was enough time for someone as strong as you to recover from heartbreak and move on with their lives, putting the past and the people in it behind you, where it belongs. I had expected you to greet me with joy, the way you did, and then smile and tell me that there was someone else now, whom you loved with all your heart as you had me. It's what I hoped—even though I knew it would hurt—because I didn't want the alternative—this." He met Yoko's eyes gravely. "Because _this_ is pathetic, quite frankly. It hurts to see you here, suffering from two bloody thousand years of self-inflicted wounds, unable to let go."

Yoko whimpered, knowing Kuronue was right. He collapsed back against him with a sob, clutching the bat to him. "You're right…I've been an idiot and I'm acting pathetic. I just—I couldn't bear the thought of living without loving you, even if you weren't there. It would have been like—like chopping off a leg or an arm…I couldn't do it. So I tortured myself instead…Please don't be angry, Kuro. Why aren't you at least a little glad I still love you!? I'm _sorry…_"

Kuronue kissed the top of his head. "Why are you apologizing to _me_, fox? Don't you think there's someone else who deserves the apology more?"

"Who, _myself?_ How can I—"

"No, you idiot," Kuronue growled, but a smile was ghosting about his face. "I mean someone who loves you just as much as I do, someone whose heart you've recently broken…"

Yoko felt guilt stab his conscious violently. "S-Suichi…" he whispered.

Kuronue kissed the fox's forehead and gently licked away Yoko's tears before kissing him, lovingly, to soundlessly reassure the fox that he had remained faithful too, that he loved Yoko with every inch of his soul and always would. Yoko's tears stopped and he relaxed, laying his head on the bat's shoulder until Kuronue nudged him.

"I thought we agreed there was someone you needed to talk to?"

Yoko wilted a little. "…_now_? I didn't realize you meant right this second…"

Kuronue shrugged. "Do it whenever you please; just know that I refuse to forgive you for being such a moron until you apologize for breaking Suichi's heart…"

Yoko bit back a growl of exasperation. "You are quite possibly the most aggravating person I know," he muttered.

"And you are quite possibly the stupidest person I know," Kuronue countered with a smirk.

With a groan the fox rolled off the bed and pulled himself together before leaving the room.


	7. Decisions and Confessions

AHH sorry this took so long...I've been busy finishing other things that I started like, 4 years ago (no exaggeration) and never got around to finishing. But those are all done now so I can concentrate on this one. Yay!

* * *

Suichi knew he should be happy for Yoko; that the fox had been in so much pain over Kuronue's death and all that pain had vanished. But try as he might he could not conjure anything but despair and hatred. The redhead was aware he was being selfish again but he couldn't help but resent Kuronue for coming back _now_, when he had finally established some sort of relationship with Yoko. He curled up in the stiff sheets of his guest bed and allowed the tears to spill down his face.

The last thing he was expecting was for the fox to quietly knock on the bedroom door. Suichi was so startled he didn't answer and the fox opened the door and slunk in. Finally the boy reined in the quaver in his voice and said, "What is it, Yoko?"

"Don't pretend you're not upset, Suichi," the fox murmured. "You know it's lost on me."

Suichi turned away from him, ashamed of himself, not wanting Yoko to see just how upset he really was. "I'm being such a selfish…" he whispered. "I should be happy for you but I-I can't make myself…"

He felt the bed sink as Yoko sat on its edge and laid his hand in Suichi's hair. "Suichi… I've been such a fool," he whispered. "I've hurt you so much…caused you so much pain you've done nothing to deserve…and now…now I can only imagine how much Kuronue's return has hurt you, how afraid you must be that I'll vanish on you now that he's returned."

Suichi turned partially on his side to eye Yoko blearily. "Where are you going with this, Yoko?"

To his astonishment the fox pulled him into his arms, trembling, burying his damp face in Suichi's hair. "I'm so sorry, Suichi…I've been so stupid, blinded by a stupid promise and lying to myself and to you…all these years I've been torturing myself like the idiot I am and then I dragged you into my own self-induced pain…"

"Y-Yoko, what…?"

"Suichi, I—" Yoko took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly, ruffling Suichi's hair. "I think I'm trying to say I love you, that I have for a long time, since before we split, even, but I was too much of an idiot to allow myself to acknowledge it, too damn stubborn to—to break a promise that only made my life miserable…"

Suichi's head was swimming. "W-what about…Kuronue?"

Yoko had to pause for a moment, but then he sighed. "Of course I love him, too, Suichi," he whispered. "Nothing would ever change that." Yoko smiled as Suichi was unable to keep the confusion from his face. "It's a demon thing, love," he explained. "Only humans harbour that nonsense idea that you can only love one other person at a time."

Suichi lay his head on Yoko's chest, feeling joy swelling in his heart, so powerful it brought tears to his eyes. "I trust you, Yoko. If you say you love us both then I believe you," he whispered, his voice trembling. The redhead buried his face in Yoko's chest, but the fox pulled back, his hands sliding up the boy's arms. Suichi looked up into those golden eyes—from which still glittered a hint of tears—and felt one hand slide around the back of his head.

Playfully Yoko nibbled the end of Suichi's nose, his teeth causing no pain, before pressing his lips against Suichi's. The redhead whimpered, his heart fit to burst, and leaned into Yoko's embrace, wanting more. He was aware that Yoko was being cautious, hesitant to deepen the kiss lest he hurt Suichi again. Desperately Suichi whimpered, pressing himself flush against Yoko's body, conveying his need as best he could.

The fox caught on quickly enough and with a tiny growl flicked his tongue against Suichi's lips. The redhead met it with his own, but let the fox lead, submitting to skill that surpassed his own by over a thousand years. But he had to break away first, as much as he regretted it, because he needed to breathe. Panting, blushing, and weak he collapsed back against the fox's chest.

"I love you so much, Suichi," Yoko murmured.

Suichi smiled. He would never tire of hearing those words. "I love you too, Yoko," he whispered back. After a long, quiet interval Suichi reluctantly pulled away. He met Yoko's puzzled gaze with a smile. "You should go back now," he said quietly. "Kuronue's waiting for you."

Yoko blinked. "But—Suichi…" He was clearly torn between the two of them.

Suichi pulled the blanket back up over his knees. "He's been looking for you for so long and he loves you at least as much as I do, Yoko. He shouldn't have to wait any longer now that he's finally found you, and neither should you."

The fox reached out to gently stroke Suichi's hair. "Could you be any more perfect?" he whispered. He kissed the boy's cheek and got up, smiling gratefully before returning to Kuronue's waiting embrace.


	8. Breakfast

Kuronue grabbed Yoko as the fox came back in. He pulled Yoko to him and buried his face in the fox's shoulder. Yoko smiled, and they stood there silently for a long time until Kuronue growled, "I've been running after you for far too long to put up with this romance crap any longer, fox."

Yoko smirked, meeting Kuronue's glittering eyes. "I agree completely." He pulled Kuronue over to the bed, grinning expectantly.

* * *

"God how I've missed your purring, Yoko…"

Yoko opened one eye sleepily and kissed Kuronue's neck before curling back up against his chest, still purring loudly. "Kuro…" he sighed contentedly.

Kuronue's hand descended on Yoko's head, petting the fox lovingly, running his long fingers through Yoko's glorious hair. "I love you so much, fox," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Kuronue…" Yoko growled. He was quiet for a moment before whispering, "I-I can't believe you're here, that you're _alive_…Kuronue…_god_ how I've missed you!"

Kuronue could feel the tears falling from Yoko's eyes even as the fox started trembling. He let Yoko cry, stroking his hair gently. "I'm here now, fox," he whispered as the tears dried. "You don't have to mourn for me any longer. Sleep, now, my love. I'll still be right here when you wake, I promise. I won't leave you ever again…not ever…"

Yoko smiled and curled closer to Kuronue's body, burying his face in the bat's shoulder, his body relaxing as sleep finally came.

* * *

"Yoko…Yoko it's past noon, don't you think it's time to get up?"

Yoko opened one eye and raised it to Suichi's face. "Why?"

The redhead blinked. "Well…I…"

Yoko laughed, truly happy for the first time in forever, and pulled Suichi down onto the bed. He pulled the slender body against his and purred, "Why should I get out of bed when I've got everything I need right here?"

Suichi flushed a bright crimson as he found himself held against the fox's naked form. "I—I—that is—I mean, well—" he stammered.

Yoko could not suppress his laugh and rested his cheek on Suichi's head, inhaling his sweet fragrance and closing his eyes again. "I'll get up, Suichi," he whispered. "Just—stay here a moment longer?" Sandwiched between the two people he loved the most, the fox did not want to ruin the warmth that was spreading through him. He didn't ever want to move.

Suichi looked up at him in mild exasperation before smiling. "Of course I'll stay, Yoko," he said, resting his head on Yoko's bare chest.

Kuronue stirred, growling softly in the shafts of noon light, burying his nose back in Yoko's hair. His arms hitched around Yoko's waist, pulling him closer. "My fox…" he growled possessively.

Yoko chuckled and pulled Suichi closer to him in response, despite the boy's halfhearted attempts to shy away from his nakedness. "Why do you pull away from me, Suichi?" he whispered. "Do you not want me to hold you?"

"N-No! That's not—it's not that," Suichi said, flustered again. "It's just—well, you're not…wearing anything, and—and…"

"…and you're shy?" Yoko finished. He smiled as the boy blushed and nodded, hiding his face in Yoko's breast once more. Yoko kissed his head. "Don't be shy with me, Suichi," he purred. "I _am_ you, remember? I know your body as well as my own." He leaned down to growl in Suichi's ear. "You don't know mine, but we can always fix that quite easily…"

Suichi blushed—Yoko could feel the heat against his skin—and pulled away a little. Yoko let him, aware that he was making Suichi a little uncomfortable. He sat up, the blanket sliding off his shoulders to pool in his lap. Yoko prodded Kuronue gently, ignoring the irritated snarl that greeted him.

"Get up, bat. I know you're awake…"

Kuronue opened his eyes, looking disgruntled. "I never could fool you, could I?" he sighed. He propped himself up on one elbow, loose hair tumbling down to settle on his shoulders, nodding drowsily at Suichi. Yoko smirked at him and flung the blanket aside to get out of bed. He heard Suichi scrambling to avert his gaze and felt Kuronue's eyes following him as he gathered up articles of clothing from where they had landed during the night. He tossed Kuronue's at him and got dressed before pulling Suichi off the bed and against him.

"If you're so shy then how come you didn't simply just leave the room, hmm?" he purred. Suichi's mouth opened, but he had no answer for that. Yoko smiled. "Clearly some part of you is quite a bit more curious than it would first appear…" Suichi blushed again and looked away, clearly confused. Yoko made him look at him and bent over to kiss Suichi lovingly. When he pulled away, he grinned mischievously. "What, did you really think I'd stop teasing you, Suichi? Like I said before, you're just too much fun to mess with."

Suichi finally smiled. Behind him, Kuronue straightened, fully dressed, his hair pulled back into its customary ponytail. The redhead disengaged himself from Yoko's arms and said, "I'll go get breakfast started. Finally."

They watched him leave before Kuronue grabbed Yoko and spun him around to kiss him gently. Yoko sighed, leaning into the bat's embrace. _It's odd how reluctant we both are to show affection when there's someone else in the room, even when that someone else is Suichi. Then again, perhaps it's _because_ we were with Suichi that I didn't want to be overly affectionate—subconsciously I don't want to hurt him. _Yoko sighed. _But then, if that were the case I wouldn't have teased him so much, wouldn't have purposefully made him uncomfortable just because it's adorable when he gets flustered._ The smell of bacon dragged Yoko out of his thoughts and he looked up to find Kuronue had already gone into the kitchen, leaving the fox staring at the wall.

Yoko scowled and stalked into the kitchen. He glared at Kuronue. "Thanks, bat," he growled sarcastically. Kuronue grinned, reaching up to grab Yoko's collar to steal another kiss. The fox huffed and turned to Suichi. His breath hitched a little. The redhead was trying to reach the salt, which was just beyond his reach, a hairs breadth away from his questing fingertips. He was stretched out on tiptoe, thighs quivering with the effort, dancer's body arched gracefully inwards. Suichi's shirt hitched up, revealing a teasing glimpse of the boy's alabaster skin, and Suichi was wreathed in steam from the stovetop, making Yoko think of exotic dancers. The redhead whimpered, and Yoko snapped himself out of it and moved to help the boy.

"Suichi," he growled softly, pressing himself into the small of Suichi's back, reaching over the boy's head to grab the saltshaker and place it in Suichi's soft hands. Suichi looked up at him gratefully, sinking back down to the ground. Yoko kissed him, making no secret of his desire. He pulled away with a grin, ignoring Suichi's tiny whimper of disappointment. "You've got your salt, love," he said with a tiny wink."

"Yoko you are such a damn flirt you know that?" Kuronue growled as the fox sat down. "Leading that poor boy on and then walking away with a comment that boils down to 'make my breakfast.'"

Yoko shrugged. "It worked with you," he said cheerfully. "So I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it." He ducked the swipe Kuronue took at him, but did not anticipate the hand that grabbed his collar on the way back up and pulled him flat out of his chair. Yoko growled as Kuronue kissed him roughly, leaving the fox slightly dazed.

"It worked with me because I was not an impressionable, sensitive 19-year-old human virgin, fox," he hissed, too quietly for Suichi to hear. "No matter what he may say, you know that boy is harbouring doubts about whether you really love him or not, fox. Your little games might just be enough to convince him that you lust after him but don't really _love_ him."

Yoko smiled. "I think it's so cute that you're worried about him, Kuro," he purred. Kuronue's eyes narrowed in annoyance, and the fox shook his head. "I know, I know, you just don't want me to get hurt right?" Kuronue huffed his agreement. "Listen, love, you have a very good point, I know you do. And your concern means a lot to me. But Suichi and I were one and the same for far too long to not trust each other completely. If I wasn't one hundred percent certain that he _knew_ I loved him I wouldn't dare tease him."

Kuronue released him as Suichi approached with breakfast. "Just…be careful, fox," he growled.

Yoko smiled and got up to take some plates from Suichi, who was balancing them precariously on his arms. "Let me help you every once in a while," he chided gently. "You don't have to be Superman, at least, not anymore."

Suichi smiled. "I keep…forgetting you're here, Yoko," he said. "I mean…you were always _here_, but after nineteen years of having to do everything myself it might take awhile for me to remember that you can actually help me now."

Yoko returned the smile, kissed him on the forehead, and turned to his food.


	9. Mother?

I actually wrote this a while ago and was too lazy to upload it for the longest time. There's one more chapter too...

* * *

As soon as the last dish was nestled in the drying rack, Suichi found himself being tugged gently by the hand into the living room. He met Yoko's dancing eyes questioningly, but the fox only grinned his mischievous grin.

Suichi had heard every word of Yoko's whispered conference with Kuronue in the kitchen, but it had only served to confirm what he already knew. Yoko loved him. Somehow, a creature of such power and beauty loved him. Kuronue's part in the mix didn't bother him at all. _Back in school, when we were still one, every time any mention of the inherent wrongness of polygamy arose, the fox in me—Yoko—would always balk and demand that he be allowed to argue in favor…I never let him, because I personally agreed with most other people. But now…somehow, it doesn't seem quite so weird. He loves us both and that's all there is to it._

He didn't mind Yoko's teasing at all. Suichi had quickly realized that Yoko expressed affection through teasing when there was anyone else around, even Kuronue it would seem. The fox's pride wouldn't allow it any other way. Suichi giggled as Yoko pulled him close, arms sliding around his waist. _Besides, other than the embarrassment, it's not like he's hurting me. In fact—_Suichi blushed as he remembered the curve of the fox's naked body against his own—_it's quite arousing, shame and all._

"I love you, Suichi," Yoko whispered, pulling the redhead out of his thoughts. He met Yoko's soft eyes.

"I love you too, Yoko, but what…?"

Yoko looked serious. "Suichi, Mother will need an explanation for my and Kuronue's sudden presence. And I'm sick of lying to her."

Suichi sighed. "So am I, Yoko, but—but what else can we do? She'd never believe it if we told the truth, even if you dropped the illusion and let her see your…demon parts."

Yoko shook his head. "Suichi, you're her _son._ Have we ever given her reason to doubt you?" Suichi shook his head reluctantly. "Then why should she not believe it?"

"Because it's insane?" Kuronue said dryly. "Suichi's right, fox. No sane human would ever believe it if you told them your story."

Yoko looked disgruntled. "Damn you, Kuro, you're supposed to side with _me!_"

Kuronue rolled his eyes. "Suichi clearly retained the common sense, fox, if you can't see that your mother won't believe a word of it."

Yoko sighed. "Fine. But what do we have to lose by trying?"

Suichi sighed back at him. "She'd throw us—or at least me—into an insane asylum, or at the very least make me see a therapist."

"She can't 'make' you do anything, Suichi, you're a legal adult and not living under her roof anymore!"

"You're missing the basic point, Yoko. Even if Mother didn't go quite that far, do you think she'd ever trust me again? I can't deal with that, Yoko."

Yoko turned away. "I just…hate lying to her like this…she _is_ my mother, too; she was the entire reason I stayed alive. She cared for me—us—far more than my demon mother ever did, even though we—well, mostly I—were so horrible to her. How can I keep lying to someone whom I care so much about, whom I owe my life and the other most important person in the world to me?"

"Y-Yoko, I…" Suichi was touched. _He cares for her as much as I do…_

"Yoko, if you told her only _part_ of the truth, would it still be lying? Would you still feel guilty?" Kuronue asked suddenly.

Yoko shrugged. "I suppose _technically_ it wouldn't be, but…still, I—" he paused, looking hesitant, his pride catching up with him.

Suichi touched the fox's cheek gently. "Remember what you said to me earlier? About not being shy? I want to find a solution that works for us both, Yoko, but we can't do that if you let your pride stop you from saying what's on your mind."

Yoko smiled and took Suichi's hand in his own, kissing the redhead's fingers gently. Suichi blushed, smiling, and pulled his hand away. Yoko sighed. "I just—I want her to know…I want to call her my mother, because she is, and I love her like such. I want to thank her for everything she's done for me without knowing it. I can't do that if—if she doesn't know who I am."

Suichi fought back tears and sat down on the sofa, pulling Yoko gently down with him. "I—I never even thought of that, Yoko," he whispered. "If Mother didn't know I was her son…I could see how much that would hurt," Suichi said. Yoko smiled gratefully. "But…I just—what if she doesn't believe us? What then? It would only make things worse…"

"Suichi, I'm more than willing to risk that if it would mean she'd know who I was," Yoko said.

Suichi closed his eyes and laid his forehead against Yoko's chest. "I—I can't, Yoko. I'm sorry. I just—I can't—the very idea of how she would react breaks my heart…" He couldn't stop the tears from flowing this time.

Kuronue sighed. "This doesn't have to be decided right now," he growled. "Give it a rest for now; you're only stressing yourselves out. We can settle this later."

Suichi sniffed, knowing Kuronue was right, and moved closer to Yoko. He hoped the fox wasn't planning on moving any time soon, because he was extremely comfortable in Yoko's strong arms. Those arms pulled him closer, Yoko's face burying itself in his hair. Suichi closed his eyes and smiled. He would never tire of this.

* * *

Suichi heard voices in the hallway as he was dressing and frowned. He wasn't sure but one of them sounded like… _What on--?_ With a sigh he finished pulling on his shirt and opened the door. His fears were confirmed immediately.

"Yoko!" Suichi growled, cornering the fox. "I thought we agreed to wait and discuss this further before even alerting mother to your existence!"

Yoko grinned and shrugged. "We did, but what was I supposed to do when she just showed up at the front door? We neglected to consider the fact that she likes to pay random visits, Suichi. So I guess we have to decide this right now, don't we?"

Suichi closed his eyes and leaned against Yoko's chest. "…I suppose we do. Yoko, I—I was thinking this over while I was in the shower and decided that—that I was being foolish. You have every right to want to tell her and what's more, she has every right to know the truth—the _whole_ truth. I'm afraid of her reaction, yes, but that shouldn't decide the issue."

Yoko smiled at him and kissed the top of Suichi's head. "Are you sure, Suichi?" he whispered. Suichi nodded, burying his unease in the back of his mind, and went to face his mother.

She looked mildly confused. "Suichi…there you are. These two boys told me you were in the shower…who exactly are they, dear? I don't remember ever seeing either of them here before…"

Suichi made himself smile. "You wouldn't, Mother. Yoko's been here for a few weeks and Kuronue only arrived last night." He hesitated, glanced at Yoko, and said, "Actually…we needed to talk to you about that, anyway…"

Yoko moved forward, no sign of the agitation Suichi could feel coursing through him visible on his handsome face. He relieved Suichi of the task then, guiding Shiori to the sofa and settling down across from her. "I don't want you to say anything until I'm done," he started. Suichi eased away into the kitchen, unwilling to let his mother see the nerves he could not hide and still afraid of what Shiori's reaction would be. He dawdled in the kitchen, making tea as slowly as he knew how, hardly noticing Kuronue's entrance until the bat spoke.

"You shouldn't worry. Yoko can talk his way out of just about everything, and whenever he can't he charms his way out. Your mother is only human; she won't escape."

Suichi sighed, fussing with the teacups on the tray, arranging them in patterns, still stalling. "I just…I'm afraid that she'll think we're both insane. How can he talk her into believing that? The entire story sounds completely impossible. If I weren't a part of it I probably wouldn't believe a word of it myself."

Kuronue smiled. "He's a fox, Suichi. Casting illusions is what they do best. He can make your mother believe whatever he wants her too without batting an eyelash." Kuronue met Suichi's eyes. "But listen, Suichi. Yoko needs you there with him right now. He's just as or more afraid than you are."

With an enormous effort, Suichi wrenched his gaze away, wondering vaguely why his heart was fluttering. "You're right…I'm being a coward. I left him there all by himself and ran away to hide in here…" He picked up the tea tray and turned to go back to the living room. "I—thank you, Kuronue."

"Yeah, well…" Kuronue looked away. "Just—get outta here."

Suichi smiled, took a deep breath, and pulled his face under control before going back into the living room. Yoko was explaining demon world as he entered and Shiori looked extremely confused and slightly alarmed. Suichi set the tray down on the coffee table and curled up on the sofa next to Yoko, leaning his head on the fox's shoulder.

"…So you two, you're—you're really only one…?"

Suichi paused mid-nod. "Well…kind of… We shared this body for a while but we're still separate people," he said quietly.

"And…he's a demon thief from another world who merged with you while you were in my womb?"

Suichi closed his eyes. "Mother…I know it sounds ridiculous but you have to believe us…What reason could we have to tell such a ludicrous story as a lie?"

Shiori smiled. "Suichi, it is a ludicrous story, yes, but…I believe you, for some reason." She closed her eyes. "It's like I have two sons, then, instead of one."

"You really think—you really see me as your son, then…?" Yoko said hoarsely. Shiori nodded. Yoko's breath came out in a loud sigh. "Good…"

Shiori cocked her head. "But then…what about the other one…?"

"What othe—oh! You mean Kuronue," Yoko said, grinning. "He's—he's my lover from a few hundred years ago who I thought died but didn't and then came back last night."

"I...see..." Her eyes lingered enquiringly on the fingers Yoko was running through Suichi's hair and the cheek Suichi rested on Yoko's shoulder, but she said nothing.

Shiori rose slowly. "I...need some time to digest all of this...you understand. Thank you for the tea, Suichi."

As she reached for her coat, Yoko got up. "I'll walk you home...Mother."

Shiori hesitated, but must have intuited that the fox would not take no for an answer and acquiesced silently.


	10. Sin

YAOI LIME ALERT

* * *

When Kuronue at last ventured out of the kitchen, he was surprised to find Suichi alone, sitting on the couch, apparently lost in thought. He approached slowly. The bat wasn't sure what Suichi thought of him: whether he viewed Kuronue as a rival or a friend.

"Where did Yoko go?"

Suichi looked round and smiled at him. "He's taking Mother home."

"I take it went well then?" Kuronue asked. Suichi nodded and got up, reaching for the tea tray, but the bat beat him to it. "You do everything around here, Suichi. Sit down; I can wash the teacups for you." Back in the kitchen, Kuronue let his mind wander. _I should talk to him...Yoko's not here; it's the perfect opportunity to see if the fox was right in assuming Suichi trusted him when he said he loved him. I should also try and figure out what he thinks of me._

Drying the last teacup and flinging the dishtowel onto the counter, Kuronue reentered the living room and took Shiori's former seat. "May I ask you something, Suichi?" Suichi nodded. "Do you believe Yoko when he says he loves you?"

Suichi looked surprised. "Of course I do! Why would he lie...?"

Kuronue raised an eyebrow a little. "Do you really? Even though he's been doing nothing but teasing you all day? How can you be sure it's not just lust?"

Suichi narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?" he growled.

Kuronue shook his head, smiling. "I'm not trying to chase you away, Suichi. I'm just worried that Yoko has been pushing you away without meaning to with his constant suggestiveness. _He_ trusts that you trust him; I'm not so sure I do, and I don't want him to hurt himself."

Suichi finally smiled. "You forget he was a part of me for nineteen years, Kuronue. Not only that, he's been flirting with and teasing me ever since we split apart; he's just being much more...lewd about it now. It's his way of showing affection."

Kuronue sighed. _He does understand...that's good. That's one worry alleviated._

"Can I ask _you_ something?" Kuronue nodded. "What—what do you think of me?" Suichi asked. "I mean...do you see me as your rival, or...?"

Kuronue smiled. "I was about to ask you the same question, Suichi," he said. "If you hadn't been a part of Yoko for so long I might be jealous of you, but even if I was I wouldn't let it get in my way. You're not my rival, Suichi. It's not uncommon for demons to have more than one lover at a time and the reason is that generally we believe that there's plenty enough to go around. I'm willing to share if you are." Kuronue stopped and met the boy's eyes nervously.

Suichi closed his eyes. "I didn't think you resented me...but I just wanted to make sure. I'd feel so miserable if you did..." He looked up again, smiling. "Yes, Kuronue. I am willing to share even though the concept is alien to me."

_He really does have a breathtaking smile..._ Kuronue let his eyes linger on that smile a little longer than was necessary, until Suichi's cheeks turned slightly pink and he ducked his head. Kuronue looked away. _What's wrong with you, Kuro!? He's not yours so stop thinking of all the dirty things you could do to him and...and how delicious he'd look in lingerie..._

"Is-is something wrong, Kuronue? Because you're staring at me..."

Suichi's voice brought the bat back to Earth. He wrenched his eyes away from Suichi's midriff and met the suddenly wary green eyes with a smile. "I'm sorry, Suichi. I just spaced out for a moment. Didn't mean to scare you."

Suichi nodded, smiling again. "You didn't. Scare me, I mean." He giggled. "I was just teasing."

Kuronue scowled. "Must've picked that up from Yoko," he growled. Suichi shrugged and got up, heading towards the bathroom. Despite himself Kuronue found his eyes running down Suichi's back and settling on his fine ass. _I shouldn't stare...he already suspects...but Goddamn it he's got a nice ass! And those tight jeans don't make it any better..._ The bathroom door closed, cutting off Kuronue's view. The bat leaned back with a growl. _What is _wrong_ with you, Kuronue!? Get a hold of yourself, bat. You can't have him so stop fantasizing!_ Closing his eyes was a bad idea. Suichi's face hovered behind his closed lids, smiling shyly, tongue creeping out to lick full lips. Kuronue opened his eyes again, in time to see the real Suichi leave the bathroom and come towards him again, headed for the kitchen.

Once the redhead was level with him Kuronue growled, "Suichi." Suichi stopped and looked at him and, without knowing why, Kuronue grabbed his hand, pulled him down, and kissed him. Hard. Gliding his tongue between Suichi's startled lips, the bat knocked the pillows off the sofa and pulled Suichi down onto it. He straddled the boy's thighs, pinning him in place, and regretfully wrenched his lips away.

"Kuronue, what—" Suichi started, looking alarmed, but Kuronue pressed a finger against his lips.

"Shh. No talking," he growled. He ran his tongue along Suichi's jaw line and pulled the boy's earlobe into his mouth. "Damnit, you're beautiful!" he panted, toying with the first button on Suichi's shirt.

"K-Kuronue..." Suichi whimpered uneasily.

"Quiet, love," the bat purred, dragging his tongue up Suichi's arched neck. Suichi's breath hitched. Kuronue smirked and undid the top button, attacking the redhead's bared collarbone with a growl, his other hand caressing a denim-clad thigh. The bat tugged at the last button and pushed the open shirt off Suichi's shoulders, fingers leaping to dance across that lean stomach, lips crushing against Suichi's once more.

He found a nipple and rolled it between his fingers. Suichi cried out, his back arching into Kuronue's hands, one arm creeping around Kuronue's head, pulling at the hair tie until the bat felt his hair spill down over his shoulders. Kuronue growled and nibbled the redhead's jaw, Suichi's head tipping back, body arched into Kuronue's touch. The bat smirked again and nibbled his way slowly down Suichi's bared throat.

"Oh...God..." Suichi whimpered, fingers tightening in Kuronue's hair.

Kuronue wedged one knee between Suichi's legs and pulled a nipple into his mouth. Suichi yelped again, back arching once more, eyes closed. Kuronue rolled his tongue around the treat in his mouth, rubbing the other with one free hand.

"That feels so good..." Suichi gasped, "D-Don't stop..."

Kuronue slid his arm around Suichi's waist and pulled at the button on Suichi's jeans teasingly. Suichi moaned as Kuronue gently rolled his nipple between his teeth, both so blinded by lust they didn't hear the front door open.


	11. The Plots Begin

YAOI LIME ALERT

* * *

"Jeez, Kuronue, did you really think I'd let you get Suichi before I did!?"

Suichi yelped as Yoko dragged off of him. He didn't dare open his eyes and contend with the anger he knew Yoko was trying so hard to suppress.

"Y-Yoko..." Kuronue rasped. "Y-Yoko, I—I don't—I couldn't—"

"I'll deal with _you_ later," the fox growled. He gathered Suichi into his arms and carried him into the bedroom, putting him down on the bed more gently than Suichi expected. Suichi didn't say a word, nor did he open his eyes.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Yoko sighed.

Finally, Suichi opened his eyes. "Y-Yoko...I—he came onto _me_; I—I wasn't expecting it and it just—he just—it felt so good! I—please don't be mad...?"

"I'm not mad as much as I'm...hurt, Suichi," He scanned the redhead's body, telling himself he was looking for any sign of injury and not just enjoying the sight of Suichi with his shirt half-off and fly unbuttoned. "He—He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Suichi shook his head. "N-no...I—I wanted him..." he murmured, his face reddening.

"Good," Yoko growled.

Suichi touched the fox's cheek gently. "Yoko..."

Yoko kissed him gently, slipping his tongue between Suichi's lips. "I'm not mad, love," he whispered again. "Tonight I'll pick it up from where Kuro left off..."

Suichi whimpered. "Can't—can't we do it now?" he murmured, pressing himself against Yoko's body.

Yoko growled softly, running one finger down the middle of Suichi's chest. "No, love. Kuro needs to know I don't hate him for this before he gets so overcome with guilt he does something stupid." Regretfully the fox got up and turned away from Suichi's pouting face to head out the door.

"Yoko...please...I'm so sorry, Yoko! I don't know what—I wasn't thinking; I—"

Yoko grabbed Kuronue and kissed him, hard, as he closed the door behind him. "Kuro, shut up," he growled. "I'm not nearly as angry as you seem to think I am." He pressed a finger against Kuronue's lips as the bat looked about to protest again. "Had Suichi felt you violated him in some way I'd be angry. But he doesn't, Kuro. He just told me he wanted you the entire time."

"Yoko, I—"

"Just tell me this, Kuronue," Yoko interrupted. "Why? What were you _thinking_?"

Kuronue closed his eyes. "I wasn't. He just—looked so damn beautiful and I-I couldn't stop myself..."

Yoko kissed him again, grinning. "Understandable."

"I wasn't trying to go behind your back or anything, Yoko—I didn't even think it through enough to realize that you'd be home in like five minutes..."

"How many times must I tell you I'm not angry, Kuronue?" Yoko said with a laugh.

Kuronue shook his head, his eyes wide. "But how could you _not_ be, Yoko!?"

Running his hands through Kuronue's loose hair, Yoko smiled. "When I first walked through the door, I was furious, Kuro. Anger gave way to hurt quickly when I saw how Suichi arched into your arms..." Kuronue flinched a little, but said nothing. Yoko's smile widened. "But now that I think about it...your mutual attraction could make things very interesting..."

Kuronue stared at him, trying very hard not to look hopeful. "Y-you mean...?"

Yoko nibbled one of Kuronue's long ears, drawing a mewl from his lover's throat. "If, of course, Suichi agrees. And you know how humans are..." The fox laughed as Kuronue's face fell. "Still, he cannot deny he wants you, not after admitting to my face that he wanted your touch. And perhaps there is enough of me in him that the idea would not repulse him as much..."

"You know, I was thinking how Suichi would look delicious in lingerie..."

For a moment, Yoko let his imagination run wild with the idea, his golden eyes clouding over as the very thought of his redhead in nothing but a thong and fishnets. He closed his eyes. _Or one of those spiked collars and a leash, and leather cuffs at his wrists..._

"What about that plant of yours, Yoko?" Kuronue purred, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on the fox. "You know the one I mean..."

In his mind's eye Yoko saw a vine twining leisurely around one ivory leg and whimpered longingly. He pulled himself together and grinned at Kuronue. "We'd have to work up to all that, though. Don't want to scare him..." They were forced to stop their plotting as Suichi opened the door and came out into the living room, steadfastly avoiding Kuronue's gaze.

The smirk fell from Kuronue's lips. He watched the redhead anxiously for a moment. "Suichi...I—I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking at all; I—"

"It's alright, Kuronue," Suichi said quietly, finally raising his hesitant gaze to the bat's. "I'm not upset with you, oddly enough."

Yoko heard what the redhead had not said and moved towards him. "But you _are_ upset with _someone_, love," he murmured. Suichi looked away, closing his troubled eyes. Yoko nuzzled him. "Don't be angry with yourself, Suichi. I know you feel like you've betrayed me, but unless you love Kuronue then it's simply not true. And even if it were love and not just physical desire...well, I'd be the world's biggest hypocrite if I refused to share, now wouldn't I?"

"Why does my body crave something my heart and mind know is forbidden?" Suichi whispered, burying his face in Yoko's chest. "I feel like I've betrayed _myself_..."

"Because Kuronue's damn good," Yoko growled. Suichi flushed a brilliant red and Kuronue smirked at Yoko, trying to hide his own embarrassment. "And, Suichi, no one ever _forbade_ you from...ah...pursuing any sexual attraction," the fox said with a grin.

Suichi glanced shyly at Kuronue and said, "But—you were so upset when you found us..."

"Because it was the last thing I was expecting," Yoko snorted. "And for a moment I thought you two had been meeting in secret—before I remembered that Kuronue had not been here long enough for that. Suichi, I was afraid Kuronue had hurt you; I was afraid he'd—he'd tried to rape you, and I was angry because I knew Kuro had started it and that had I taken just a bit longer I could have been too late to—" the fox's voice quavered and he paused to take a few deep breaths. "Had Kuronue been allowed to—to go all the way," he said slowly, "now matter how much you had wanted him at the moment, I know you would have regretted it deeply later." Yoko buried his face in Suichi's hair, ignoring the tears pricking his eyes. "It was not seeing you and Kuro together that upset me, love. I didn't want you to get hurt. In fact," he smiled at Suichi playfully. "Now that I've thought about it I realize that seeing you together was quite arousing..."

Neither had noticed Kuronue sidle closer until the bat spoke, his voice husky. "The two people you love most, entwined in each other's arms..." he growled, sending a shiver up Yoko's spine. He felt Kuronue's arms slip around his waist and heard Suichi's sharp intake of breath as they slid around his, too. "You would like that, wouldn't you Yoko?" Kuronue hissed, his tongue teasing Yoko's jaw.

"Oh God, yes..." the fox breathed, leaning his head back on Kuronue's shoulder. Suichi whimpered and pressed closer to Yoko, still looking torn. The fox pulled himself under control. "As much as that appeals to me, Kuro," he said, "I don't think now is quite the time.

Kuronue laughed and stepped away, eyes sparkling. "Oh, fine. I'll wait for it, Yoko. But I'll warn you both: I don't know how much longer I can hold off..."

Yoko felt Suichi tense in his arms as the words left Kuronue's smiling mouth. The bat smirked and left the room. Yoko met the redhead's eyes. "He's kidding, love. He'd stab himself in the eye before going anywhere near you again without my permission."

Suichi eyed him somberly. "And would you give that permission, Yoko? Were _you_ kidding? Because I don't think you were." He pulled away from Yoko's arms. "You got all hot and flustered when he—when Kuronue was making all those suggestions...what if—what if I don't want that?"

_Silly human morals are getting in the way again..._Yoko concealed his impatience and made himself meet Suichi's eyes gravely. "If that's the case, Suichi, then I'll have to be content with my own fantasies and nothing more. I won't force you into anything you're opposed to." He reclaimed Suichi, pulling him down on the couch. "Although...if you _are_ opposed to it then why did you not say so, or even look uneasy, when said suggestions were made? I think your heart wants one thing, and you're letting your mind tell you that thing is wrong and twisted." Suichi hesitated, looking unsure now. Yoko kissed his forehead. "Don't worry. Like I said, neither of us will do anything you don't want."

Suichi was quiet, forehead resting against Yoko's chest. "Why does this have to be so _complicated!?_" he burst out suddenly. "I _love _you; I _don't_ love Kuronue. It should be that simple but...but... I can't deny an attraction..."

"Because you're still a part of me, Suichi," Yoko said gently. "It's inevitable that you would see him partially through my eyes, just like it's inevitable that your human revulsion at multiple lovers would be countered by what you've gained from joining with a demon."

Suichi closed his eyes. "I'm not—I'm not_ that_ opposed to it, Yoko. I mean, my mind is trying to tell me I am, but—but I know I'm not..."

Yoko's heart skipped a beat with Suichi's words, and the possibilities started running through his head once more. He let none of it show though, merely smiling and purring, "That's good to hear, love, but Kuronue can wait until I can have you myself first." He grinned as Suichi blushed hotly, but the boy was smiling too. Yoko kissed him before growling, "I have to say that I very nearly lost control of myself when I saw you, with your shirt half-off and your fly undone, your face flushed, eyes glazed..." his breath caught and he had to stop. "You are so beautiful, Suichi...I can't get over it..." He stopped again as his stomach growled. "But come. This whole affair has made me hungry again."

Suichi laughed and they both got up, heading towards the kitchen with arms around each other.


	12. Catching Up

Yoko shut the door behind him, eyes locking onto Suichi's. "Now then," he said quietly, "I believe we have some catching up to do..."

Suichi flushed a little, his heart beating faster. Yoko winked reassuringly as he prowled a little closer, and the redhead smiled back at him, blushing faintly, but with a sparkle in his eye that reminded Yoko rather disconcertingly of himself. He pulled Suichi into his arms, burying his face in the boy's hair.

"Yoko…" Suichi rested his forehead against Yoko's chest, suppressing the urge to giggle as the fox started to purr. "Oh, fox…"

"I'm gonna make you say that over and over, Suichi," Yoko growled into his hair, sending a shiver down Suichi's spine. With that, he swept the giggling redhead into his arms and carried him to the bed, where he dumped him rather unceremoniously.

Yoko joined Suichi on the bed and kissed him, flickering his tongue against Suichi's lips. Timidly, they parted, and Yoko glided his abnormally long tongue into the warm mouth, feeling Suichi's back arch. Yoko dragged his fingertips leisurely down the human's toned chest, goading his nipples into hardening. Suichi whimpered, eyes widening a little as Yoko's wandering tongue grew more forceful, thrusting against his own. The fox slid his hands up under his shirt and caressed his stomach enticingly before pushing them further up and pausing to rub his erect nipples. Suichi moaned lusciously as Yoko tortured the tender buds with his nails for a brief, painful moment before detaching himself from the human boy.

Impatiently Yoko undid the Suichi's buttons and pulled his shirt off, flinging it callously to the floor. He paused, studying the redhead through heavily lidded eyes. Suichi sat up, cheeks heating again under the fox's gaze. He tugged at Yoko's toga sash until it came undone and pushed the garment off his lover's shoulders, kissing Yoko's collarbone as he did. _He's so damn beautiful, _Suichi thought, running fingers down Yoko's chest. The fox growled softly, enjoying the redhead's hesitant touch but wanting the control back. He grabbed Suichi's wrists and pushed him down onto the bed. Suichi's eyes widened as Yoko straddled him, pinning his wrists to the mattress above his head and trapping Suichi's knees between his own.

"Let _me_, love," he growled, a mischievous twinkle in his lust-clouded eyes.

Suichi smiled exasperatedly. "Oh fine," he whispered. "But next time it's my turn."

Yoko smirked. "We'll see." With that mystifying statement he pulled Suichi's lower lip between his teeth. Suichi moaned a little as the fox released his wrist to tease his nipples, feeling his cock stirring to life in his jeans. Yoko felt it too, and found that Suichi's arousal was causing his own member to harden. He nibbled at the redhead's lip as he shifted his hips.

Suichi whimpered as Yoko wrapped his arms around his back and ground their denim-clad erections together. He felt himself rising swiftly under the fox's rough caress. Moaning, he arched into the torturous sparks of friction and shuddered in disappointment when Yoko pulled away. Suichi opened his eyes and swallowed heavily, squealing in surprise as the fox hastily tore his pants off. The redhead gasped in relief as he was released from the tight pants and cool air caressed his erection. He was incredibly aroused. Yoko smirked at him and then ran his eyes up and down Suichi's body, finally able to appreciate it from an outside perspective.

"Oh Suichi….how I'm gonna make you squeal…"

"Y-Yoko…" Suichi whimpered, clenching the sheets again.

The fox's hands were suddenly everywhere at once: trailing down Suichi's trembling thighs, dragging the claws lightly down his slender chest, ghosting over his quivering cock, tracing the parted, flushed lips.

"You're so damn beautiful, Suichi…" Yoko growled, running his claws over the human's alabaster body. He moaned as the boy began to tremble, lowering his head to play his tongue over Suichi's collarbone. He abandoned the ridge and trailed his way down to one rock-hard nipple, reaching up to caress the other one.

"Y-Yoko…that feels so—ah!" Suichi's murmur died on his lips as Yoko bit down sharply, nearly drawing blood and sending waves of deliciously throbbing pleasure straight down the human's spine. Suichi squirmed and buried his fingers in Yoko's long hair, breath escaping his lungs in ragged gasps.

Suichi's vision went white for a second as the fox dug his nails into his other nipple and twisted, hard. Instinctively, Suichi let go of Yoko's hair and grabbed his arm, trying to pull it away. Yoko froze and let go of him completely, looking worried.

"Was I hurting you?" he asked, concerned.

"Ye—no…I don't even know just _why are you stopping!_" Suichi whimpered.

Yoko sighed in relief and then smiled his wicked grin. "I stopped because you tried to get me to," he hissed. "If you want me to keep doing something, than let me continue; don't try to stop me!"

"S-Sorry… please, Yoko…that felt so good…" Suichi moaned, breathing heavily.

"Will you let me? Or," the fox brought his mouth close to Suichi's ear, "are you gonna force me to have to…restrain you?"

Suichi moaned, inexplicably aroused by the idea. He shuddered and gripped the bed sheets in an effort to control himself. Yoko smirked and caressed his nipple gently as he kissed his way across to its brother. He bit down on that one and twisted the other at the same time, smirking as Suichi's back arched and the boy wailed loudly.

The redhead collapsed back onto the bed, gasping in blurry pain. _How can this possibly hurt so much and feel so good at the same time!_ He whined in pleasure as Yoko licked his burning nipples apologetically, his hands ghosting down his stomach and thighs. His mouth followed quickly, trailing fiery kisses down Suichi's chest and stomach. The fox hesitated when he reached Suichi's arousal and raised his eyes to the boy's face.

"Suichi...if I'm moving too fast..." The redhead propped himself on his elbows to glare at him, and that was all the answer Yoko needed. He eyed the rock hard cock in front of him thoughtfully, a wicked glint in his eyes. _Now that that's settled...l__et's see if I can't drag a scream from his delicious throat…_ The fox dragged his tongue slowly up the shaft, smirking as Suichi cried out and jerked his hips. Yoko teased him a moment longer, tracing the engorged veins with the tip of his tongue and dancing his nails across the inside of his trembling thighs.

The fox felt the scream shudder through Suichi's slender body a second before it tore from his throat. He moaned and bit down a little harder. Suichi whined and squirmed, thankfully from pleasure and not because he was in real pain.

"Y-Yoko… damn, Yoko!" Suichi cried, his body twitching. "Oh God, Yoko!" He bucked into the painful caress, head spinning. The redhead whimpered disappointedly as Yoko released him, but a second later his mind exploded in a whirlwind of passion as the fox engulfed him in his scorching mouth. The ache between his legs doubled as Yoko swirled his tongue around the head.

Yoko growled and pulled the moaning boy's length farther into his mouth, swallowing around the head and sucking viciously on the swollen shaft. He grabbed Suichi's balls and kneaded them roughly with one hand, the other still tracing invisible designs over the boy's flesh. Suichi squealed weakly as Yoko sucked him off, haze overtaking his mind. "Y-Yoko… yes, Yoko! More, please!" His pleas turned into incoherent babbling as his blood began to boil. "No, Yoko! Don't stop!" Suichi whined desperately as Yoko pulled away. "Please don't—mmmph!" Suichi's eyes rolled back as the fox kissed him again.

Still with his lips pressed to Suichi's, Yoko ran a hand down the inside of the boy's thigh, gently nudging the his legs further apart. He grabbed the back of Suichi's knees and lifted them so he could access his next destination. The redhead wrapped his legs around Yoko's middle as the fox dragged a finger teasingly down Suichi's ass crack. He teased the puckered entrance with a long nail before smoothly sliding the digit up into Suichi's hot, tight hole. The boy cried out and wrenched his lips away from Yoko's in surprise. "Y-Yoko…your claws… they hurt—ah!" Suichi whimpered as the fox's sharp nails scraped the insides of his ass. He cried out again as Yoko added a second finger, pumping them slowly in and out of his body. Suichi moaned obscenely, craving more. "Oh god, don't stop..."

The fox obliged, curling his finger against his prostate and scraping it with his claws. Suichi screamed again, his hips lifting off the bed. Yoko smirked and fingered the redhead viciously, grabbing his lips again. Suichi whimpered, succumbing willfully and completely to the fox's touch. He was tingling in pleasure, his head reeling. "Please, Yoko…I-I want—I want—"

The fox nibbled lightly on his lip. "I know what you want, Suichi," he growled. The boy whined again, his body trembling violently. Yoko pulled his fingers out slowly, and Suichi shuddered. The fox pulled the human to him as Suichi wrapped his slender legs around Yoko's waist. Yoko kissed him one last time, rubbing his throbbing length against Suichi's ass crack.

"I'll be gentle, love," the fox murmured as he slowly nudged his way in. To his very great surprise, Suichi did not flinch in pain. Rather, he arched into Yoko's arms, panting. He continued sliding slowly into Suichi's impossibly tight embrace, resisting the urge to pound him into the mattress.

"Oh…fox…that feels so good…"

"I'm not…hurting you?" Yoko asked, puzzled. He was trembling slightly now with the effort of restraining himself.

"N-No…well, only a little," Suichi gasped, green eyes pleading for more. "God, fuck me Yoko. Fuck me hard."

With a smirk, the fox realized that Suichi had retained a high tolerance for pain. He pulled out and started to fuck that hot, tight embrace as Suichi goaded him to greater efforts.

White hot pleasure shot through Suichi, and he moaned, feeling his body burning. He squeezed his legs around Yoko's waist, trying to remember how to breathe. A moan loud enough that it was nearly another scream tore through him as the fox fucked him madly. "Y-Yoko…Y-Yoko…" Suichi could do no more than gasp the fox's name as he was mercilessly fucked. He felt bolts of pain-lanced pleasure dancing up his spine. "M-more…" he managed to rasp, clinging to his fox desperately.

Yoko dug his claws into Suichi's shoulders, eyesight blurring as the heat constricted his pulsing length. With a snarl he forced his way deeper into the tight body, finding Suichi's prostate with a victorious smirk. He felt the boy's legs tighten around his waist once more, and moaned in appreciation. The fox grabbed Suichi's cock, pumping him in time with his thrusts.

The redhead let out a sound halfway between a scream and a sob as his body was overcome with the aching pleasure. He squirmed uselessly, not wanting the moment to end. Suichi opened his eyes and stared foggily up at Yoko, drinking in his gorgeous, lithe body with hungry eyes. "Yoko, I—I don't—I can't—Yoko, please, I'm going to—" the thought ended as Yoko grabbed his lips in a rough kiss. Suichi went into sensory overload, every coherent inch of his brain dissolving under the pressure of the searing pleasure that threatened to consume his being. He moaned into Yoko's mouth, wrapping his arms around the fox's neck and clinging to him for dear life.

Both of them felt the sudden rush from the tips of their fingers and toes: the blazing, scorching numbness a second before the tension eased as they came. Yoko pulled himself out of Suichi and lethargically licked the cum from the boy's stomach. Suichi giggled sleepily and let his legs fall from around the fox's waist, body still trembling. He smiled as Yoko pulled him into his lap and lay his head against the fox's heaving chest. Suichi's eyelids were heavy with exhaustion and he sighed in bliss as Yoko kissed his head, feeling warmth of a different kind spreading through him.

"Yoko…"


	13. Games and Plots

Kuronue lay on his back in the dark, staring at the ceiling, listening to the sounds coming from the other bedroom. He was a bat, after all, and possessed remarkable hearing. Had he wished to pointlessly arouse himself he could have heard every word passed between Yoko and Suichi. Instead, he lay awake thinking.

He was far too attracted to Suichi to deny it any longer and, judging by the boy's earlier reaction, so was he. That did not, of course, mean that he wasn't feeling ever so slightly jealous of Suichi at that moment. _Loving him is one thing; Yoko is a fox and cannot really control who he goes falling in love with. I don't really feel jealous watching them cuddle. But knowing they're messing around, _hearing_ them messing around, is different, somehow. I cannot help resenting Suichi any more than Yoko can help loving him. _The sudden silence in the master bedroom came as a huge relief. Kuronue rolled over onto his side. _Perhaps if I can convince Suichi to accept his physical attraction to me and thus get him to override his cultural inhibitions I'll feel better about this. Until then, I'll just have to hide this jealousy as best I can._

_

* * *

_

Yoko half expected Kuronue to be waiting for them outside the bedroom door the next morning with his arms folded and eyes smoldering. But he wasn't. He was already in the kitchen, munching on cold cereal and flipping idly through a newspaper. Kuronue's hair spilled down his back in uncombed tangles, giving him a softer look. He grinned at Yoko as the fox entered the kitchen with Suichi on his heels. Suichi smiled brightly at him. Too brightly.

The silence in the kitchen as the three went about breakfast set Yoko's teeth on edge. Nervousness was rolling off Suichi in waves, almost strongly enough to drown out the scent of Kuronue's jealousy that the bat was trying to hide. Worse, Suichi somehow seemed to know Kuronue resented him, and would send him annoyed looks over the milk carton when he thought the bat wasn't looking. Yoko nearly told them to stop acting like strange tomcats locked in a small room, but stopped himself. _If they're having issues they need to figure it out themselves. This does not concern me, and I am not their mother to send them into time out for bickering, _he told himself, setting his glass of juice down with more force than necessary. Kuronue frowned at him.

The silence was so thick with tension that it was a relief when Kuronue knocked his mug off the table and leapt up with a curse as coffee splashed him. Suichi giggled, but got up to help with the clean-up.

"Thanks," Kuronue said gruffly, and Suichi smiled back at him, forgetting for that brief moment that he was annoyed. Yoko watched them surreptitiously, pretending to be absorbed in the newspaper article he'd swiped from Kuronue. His two lovers eyed each other silently for another few seconds. Kuronue's face was unreadable even to Yoko, while anxiety swam openly in Suichi's green eyes. Kuronue broke eye contact first, turning away from the redhead and scrubbing a hand through his hair in frustration. Suichi blinked, confused, but Yoko could scent the bat's sudden shift from being jealous of Suichi to annoyed at himself. He stalked out of the kitchen; Yoko heard his bedroom door shut a few seconds later.

"Yoko, what-?"

The fox cut Suichi off with a finger to his lips. "He's jealous, love," he whispered, knowing just how acute Kuronue's hearing was. "He's jealous, and angry at himself for being jealous, and confused because he wants you, too, and doesn't understand how he can be jealous of you for sleeping with me when he wants to sleep with you."

"So instead of talking it out like an adult, he's sulking in his room like a child," Suichi whispered back, a tiny scowl creasing his forehead.

Yoko nearly laughed, but kept it back. "Sort of. He doesn't want to talk to you with me here, because that'd make him feel like you two were fighting over me. And he doesn't want to tell me to leave so he can talk to you alone because that's just awkward for everyone involved. So he's counting on me to tell you all of this so you'll go knock on his door and initiate the discussion like the responsible adult you are."

Suichi gaped at him, and Yoko did laugh this time. The human shook his head in exasperation and went after Kuronue, muttering incoherently under his breath. Still grinning, Yoko cleared the kitchen table. _Kuro's still as sly as he ever was…Suichi has no idea. _The fox knew Kuronue's game for what it was, now, but it was more entertaining to let Suichi think Kuronue's jealousy was for real. _He'll play it up, make Suichi feel sorry for him, and once that happens Kuro'll have him wrapped around his little finger._

_

* * *

_

Suichi knocked on the door of the guest bedroom and barely waited for Kuronue's growled "Come in" to open the door. The bat was lounging against the window frame, one foot up against the wall, arms crossed. He did not look around as Suichi entered and shut the door behind him.

"So," Suichi said softly when Kuronue did not speak, "you're jealous of me."

Kuronue sighed and pushed himself upright. Without looking at Suichi he said, "What makes you say that?"

The redhead didn't answer for a moment, settling himself in a chair. "Do we have to play this game, Kuronue? I'm not blind and I know jealousy when I see it."

"I don't…I shouldn't be," Kuronue said, finally turning to meet the redhead's gaze. Frustration was etched on his face. "I just-I couldn't help overhearing-" Suichi flushed, but Kuronue ignored it- "and I was so _angry_ that someone else…" he trailed off, looking away again.

Suichi got up and moved a few steps closer to Kuronue, much of his exasperation gone. "Of course you were," he said softly. "I was jealous of you, when Yoko was with you the night you came back," he admitted. "But I realized that I was going to have to learn to deal with that."

Kuronue laughed bitterly. "It's easier for you, Suichi. You've been in love what? Three weeks? A month? We were together for nearly three centuries. Then, on top of that, he remained completely chaste for the next two and a half. Up until last night, I didn't have to share him for over five hundred years."

"Up until the day after you returned," Suichi murmured. He was startled that Kuronue's obvious distress upset him as much as it did. He was also a little surprised at how much closer to Kuronue his feet had moved him without his notice.

The bat rounded on him suddenly, looking alarmed. "Don't you dare start thinking you don't deserve Yoko or something; that's not what I was trying to-"

Suichi cut him off with a smile and a shake of his head. "I wasn't, Kuro," he said. "I know you aren't trying to drive me off." He stopped, the smile fading. "Listen; I can't possibly imagine how much worse this is for you. If there's anything I can do that will make it easier…"

"Suichi…" Kuronue reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from the redhead's face.

The human almost backed away from Kuronue's touch, but something stopped him. Something made him move closer, raising his eyes to Kuronue's face. He met the bat's eyes just in time to catch the very last of the triumphant gleam as it faded. Suichi pretended to have missed it. _So it was an act…_he mused. _Fine. I can play games just as well as he can. _

Suichi lowered his eyes again, tongue snaking out to wet lips as though nervous. "M-maybe I should go…" he said softly, half turning away.

"Don't," Kuronue said, a little too quickly. Suichi looked back at him again, noting the perfect combination of bewilderment, hesitancy, and lust in the bat's eyes. _Had I not caught on already that look would have melted me where I stand_._ He's good._

Despite himself, Suichi moved closer again, nearly flush against Kuronue at this point. He had time to match Kuronue perfect look for perfect look before he was being quite thoroughly kissed. Suichi forgot all about games and acts as his back arched into Kuronue's arms. The angle was awkward-Kuronue was only a few inches shorter than Yoko-but the bat solved that problem by sitting down, dragging Suichi into his lap as he did.

Suichi pulled away for air, whimpering when Kuronue held onto his lower lip playfully with his teeth for a second. His hands had found their way over the bat's shoulders and Kuronue had him around the waist.

"You saw right through that, didn't you?" the bat growled as Suichi rested his head on Kuronue's shoulder. The redhead giggled, and Kuronue sighed. "Damn. And now you're get up and tell me I'm an idiot for ever believing you would-"

Suichi knew what Kuronue was about to say and cut him off with another kiss. "I'm not going to leave," he whispered when they parted again. "I can't deny my attraction to you, Kuronue, and not acting on it won't make it go away."

"Glad you've realized that," Kuronue said dryly, shifting his weight a little. There was a mischievous glint in his lavender eyes. "I should warn you that I play rough, though." His voice had dropped to a sultry growl that made Suichi shiver, and he couldn't tell whether it was fear or excitement or a little of both that made his heart beat faster


	14. Playing Rough

er it was fear or excitement or a little of both that made his heart beat faster.

"Wait…Kuro…"

Kuronue growled against the skin of Suichi's throat but didn't lift his head. Suichi shifted his weight a little and giggled as the growl tickled his neck, but said, "Shouldn't we…ask Yoko?"

Kuronue snorted in laughter and nibbled his way up Suichi's jaw line. "Yoko already knows," he murmured, relishing the redhead's squeals as teeth met flesh. "You don't think he'd encourage you to come in here after me and _not_ know what'd happen, did you?" He kissed Suichi's nose and grinned before raising his voice. "In fact I'd bet anything he's lurking outside the door with his hand down his pants right this second." Suichi's laugh cut off abruptly when he heard Yoko chuckle and open the door. He stared at him, suddenly all too aware that Kuronue had resumed his attack on his neck.

Yoko kicked the door shut behind him, happily eyeing his lovers. They had not moved from the chair by the window, and Suichi was still straddling Kuronue's thighs with one hand tangled in the bat's hair. Kuronue had one hand tucked down the back of the redhead's jeans and was pretending to ignore Yoko. Suichi was staring at him with a look of great consternation, seemingly unaware of the delicious whimpering noise he made every time Kuronue bit down.

"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," the fox growled, winking at Suichi reassuringly. He started towards them, but Kuronue stopped him in his tracks with a growl that sent a shiver up his spine.

"Bed, fox. Now." Kuronue hissed, finally tearing himself away from Suichi's neck. He leveled a look at Yoko over Suichi's head that dared the fox to question him. Yoko smirked and curled up on the bed without complaint, trying not to laugh at the mystified look on Suichi's face.

Suichi forgot all about Yoko's oddly compliant behavior as Kuronue slid his hands under his ass and pulled him as far forward as was possible. Suichi squeaked in surprise, but readjusted his arms around the bats shoulders. He stifled a protest as the bat ripped his shirt open, sending buttons flying; there was a gleam in Kuronue's eye that suggested protesting would do him no good. Even so, Suichi got rid of the rest of his shirt before Kuronue decided to rip it off his back.

The bat paused, running his eyes over Suichi's luscious torso, growling happily in the back of his throat. _Goddamn, but he's beautiful…_ Suichi was fumbling with the ties on his vest, clearly agitated with the two demons still fully dressed and staring at him like hungry dogs. Kuronue let the redhead rid him of the garment and then wasted no more time latching onto one of Suichi's dusky nipples. Suichi arched his back with a whimper, burying his hands in Kuronue's hair. Neither of them noticed when Yoko slid off the bed.

Suichi met Yoko's eyes as the fox crept silently up behind Kuronue. Yoko winked at him, but the redhead was distracted by sudden pain and cried out, fingers tightening in Kuronue's hair. Kuronue rolled the nipple between his teeth, feeling his cock twitch to life from the redhead's whimpers. He slid a hand down the back of Suichi's jeans and caressed the soft flesh beneath-and gasped in surprise as Yoko's hands landed on his own nipples. The fox flicked his nails across them, nibbling on the rim of Kuronue's ear. He saw Suichi shift a little in surprise, still whimpering deliciously, as Kuronue became more and more aroused.

The bat's hand was still teasing Suichi's ass, teeth still latched onto his throbbing nipple, but Suichi was starting to lose his patience with the slow pace Kuronue was setting. So when he felt the bat's cock rise and press against him, he moaned and purposely shifted his weight to tease Kuronue into full arousal.

"Damnit…" Kuronue let go of the redhead's nipple, breathing heavily. Yoko abandoned his ear and yanked his head back to kiss him, still teasing Kuronue's nipples. The fox's expert touch combined with Suichi squirming on his cock was driving him wild, and he moaned into Yoko's mouth, his nails digging into Suichi's skin.

He was so aroused that wrenching himself away was nearly the hardest thing he'd ever done, but Kuronue had no intention of letting them bring him to orgasm before any of them were even naked. So he stood, sending Yoko staggering and nearly depositing Suichi on the floor. He caught him, though, and set him on his feet before whirling to grab the front of the fox's toga and throw him down onto the bed.

"Thought I told you to sit on the bed," he growled, pushing Yoko back down as the fox tried to sit up.

Yoko giggled, the mischievous twinkle Kuronue knew so well in his eye. "Looks like you'll have to punish me, then, doesn't it?"

Behind him, Suichi whimpered, and Kuronue remembered all too well the effect those words had on him when he heard them for the first time. He smirked and pulled the boy closer. "Careful, fox," he hissed. "I might just truss you up and make you watch while I violate your little human…" The human in question moaned obscenely, his thighs trembling around his erection.

Yoko's half-serious plead for mercy made Suichi's knees buckle. Kuronue caught him again; Suichi was vaguely aware that he was whimpering pathetically and that Kuronue was trying very hard not to laugh. He didn't care. _That's the sexiest thing I've ever heard…Yoko could say anything at all in that tone of voice and it'd make me want to come…_ Suichi could only watch, wide-eyed, as Kuronue manhandled Yoko, tearing his clothes off and wrenching his arms behind his back to bind them there with one of the black strips that normally twined up Kuronue's arms. With Yoko happily subdued, the bat pulled Suichi towards him.

Yoko watched the redhead's face get progressively redder as Kuronue growled in his ear and refrained from eavesdropping. He could tell the bat was plotting something, especially once the gleam appeared in Suichi's eye. Kuronue pulled Suichi onto the bed with him and kissed him, rearranging them so he was straddling Suichi. The bat deepened the kiss, raping Suichi's mouth with his tongue as he impatiently undid the boy's fly and relieved him of jeans and boxers in one move. Suichi was so hard that the feather-light touch Kuronue landed on his cock made him scream in the agony of intense pleasure.

Yoko moaned at that scream, his own member pulsing in sympathy. Kuronue released Suichi's mouth and ran a nail up the redhead's throbbing organ lightly enough to not make him come. The redhead convulsed and tried to touch himself, but Kuronue pinned his wrists to the mattress.

"Don't make me tie you up, too, Suichi," he growled.

Suichi groaned at that, hating Kuronue at that moment for denying him release. The bat released him cautiously, and Suichi behaved himself, though not without whimpering, as the bat removed the rest of his clothing. Suichi swallowed and tried not to stare when Kuronue's pants came off. _Are ALL demons that well-endowed!_ He heard Yoko whimper happily; the fox was watching them both with a ecstatic expression on his face. Kuronue smirked at him, but his eyes were mostly glued to Suichi, drinking in his absolute perfection.

Suichi remembered what he was supposed to be doing only when Kuronue quirked an eyebrow at him. He snapped himself out of the trance he had put himself into and, ignoring the throbbing between his legs as best he could, crawled to Yoko. Burying his hand in the fox's silver hair, he kissed him, surprised how quickly Yoko submitted. He trailed one hand down the fox's chest, worshipping the hard muscles underneath silk-smooth skin, before wrapping a hand around Yoko's erect cock and pumping him.

Yoko moaned, finding Suichi's gentle touch an arousing contrast to Kuronue's rough treatment earlier. He jerked into the redhead's hand, loving Suichi's assertiveness. He moaned again, feeling pressure mounting in his groin, and Suichi moaned back, moving to kiss the fox's neck and collarbone. He loved the sounds Yoko made, loved knowing he was the reason Yoko was making those sounds. The fox arched into Suichi's hand, feeling his end nearing.

"Enough." Kuronue could tell the fox was close by his change in vocalization. Suichi pulled away from Yoko, reluctant to stop but also weirdly enjoying the enraged keening noise the fox let out when denied his release. Kuronue growled and kissed the redhead as he pulled away. Resisting the urge to touch himself while watching Suichi pleasure Yoko had proved to be a bigger challenge than he had anticipated and there was a haze of lust over his brain. He turned fogged eyes on Yoko, and the fox's cries dried up in his throat. He licked his lips, heart beating faster under that heated gaze.

"Shoulders and knees, fox."

Yoko obeyed, and the sight made both Suichi and Kuronue whimper. Kuronue ran his hands over the fox's exposed ass, relishing the moan that racked Yoko at even that simple touch. Suichi crawled forward to sit in front of Yoko, his heart thumping. Kuronue continued his gentle caresses, teasing Yoko's ass crack with a fingernail. The fox moaned and wriggled, his entire body quivering.

"P-please…oh, _please_…" Yoko sobbed, his resolve finally breaking. He was so hard it hurt.

Kuronue's hand connected with his ass, making the fox yelp. "Did I give you permission to talk, bitch?" he growled, smacking him again. He nodded at Suichi over Yoko's back and trailed his nails over the red mark his hand had left. The fox whimpered pathetically, straining against his bonds. Kuronue moaned, so horny he almost didn't know what to do with himself. _It's so tempting to forgo the plan and just fuck him silly…oh Gods, Yoko…_ He closed his eyes, kneading Yoko's butt cheek roughly.

Yoko had his eyes closed, too, trying not to come with every fiber of his body. He moaned obscenely as Kuronue kneaded his ass. So he was genuinely surprised when Suichi pulled his head up by the hair and pushed his own throbbing erection into his mouth. Delightedly, Yoko took the boy into his mouth, glad to have something other than Kuronue's torturous groping to focus on. _So this was what they were muttering about earlier…if Kuronue thinks he's punishing me this way than he's clearly forgotten how I enjoy pleasuring those I love…_ Yoko dragged his teeth up Suichi's cock, feeling the engorged veins pulsing with blood. He sucked hard on the head, drawing a cry from Suichi's throat. The redhead had both hands in Yoko's hair, his own head thrown back in ecstasy. Every cell in his body was focused on the incredible pleasure between his legs.

Yoko realized too late that Kuronue had ceased caressing his ass. He grunted when the first strike landed; it was much harder than the first two had been. He moaned as the second one hit, the pain fogging his mind with pleasure. Kuronue spanked him mercilessly, and Yoko's moans escalated into screams that were only slightly muffled by Suichi's cock. The sound vibrations, combined with Yoko's lingual prowess, sent Suichi over the edge far sooner than he would have liked. He held Yoko down and came with a cry of his own, entire body trembling in bliss.

There were tears in the fox's eyes as he swallowed Suichi's seed. His ass burned like fire and he was so hard he felt dizzy. Whimpers that were nearly sobs escaped his throat as he licked the last of the seed from the end of Suichi's cock. "Please…Kuro…_please_," he gasped.

Kuronue heard the urgency in Yoko's voice and stopped. His hand was hurting, anyway. The bat rested a hand lightly on Yoko's red thighs, hearing the fox whimper. He was quivering with the effort of restraining himself. "Get him hard again, Yoko," he growled, playing with the fox's tail.

It did not take very long for Yoko to bring Suichi up and hard again. Suichi moaned as the fox engulfed him once more, feeling his blood surging to his groin. That Kuronue was watching with heavily lidded eyes only aroused him that much more. As soon as he was fully erect, Kuronue grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Yoko. Suichi's eyes widened as the bat kissed him, sensing the level of desperation Kuronue had reached. He wrapped his arms around Kuronue's neck, finding the demon's pointed tongue highly erotic. Kuronue wasted very little time, breaking the kiss off sooner than Suichi would have liked and guiding the redhead to his hands and knees.

Kuronue dragged his tongue up Suichi's ass crack, wishing he could take the time to make the boy squeal. But Yoko looked like he was ready to explode and Kuronue himself wasn't much better off. Reluctantly he pulled away and slid one finger inside Suichi's ass. The boy moaned and wriggled backwards, showing no sign of discomfort. Kuronue added a second and grinned when Suichi rocked back and forth on him, hands gripping the bed sheets. _So he has a high tolerance for this sort of thing. I wonder…_

Yoko nearly came at the grin on Kuronue's face, and bit his lip to stop the moan that wanted to escape. Kuronue snarled something at him, and Yoko obeyed the order that he lie down under Suichi without really hearing it. He wrapped his legs around Suichi's hips and closed his eyes, knowing that if he met Suichi's gaze he _would_ come.

Kuronue was kneeling behind Suichi, erection pressed against his ass crack, waiting impatiently for Suichi to position himself over Yoko. Suichi, however, was rather enjoying being the rate-limiting step and took his time, kissing the fox tenderly, ignoring both demons' warning growls. At least, until Kuronue smacked his ass. Suichi yelped and pulled away from Yoko's mouth, ignoring the fox's grin. He pressed his erection against Yoko's ass and waited.

The bat wasted no time entering him, nearing orgasming immediately. Suichi cried out in pleasure, as he pushed his way into Yoko, assaulted from both ends. Kuronue was shaking violently as he leaned down to growl in Suichi's ear. "Tell me if I hurt you."

With that, he pulled out and pushed back in, his brain unable to comprehend the sheer magnitude of pleasure he was deriving from the redhead's tight embrace. His strokes sped up on their own, and he plunged deeper and deeper into Suichi.

The redhead timed his own thrusts so Kuronue's momentum propelled him farther into Yoko. He could hear a pathetic mewling noise and realized that he was the one making it. _Nothing_ had ever felt so good as this. Kuronue was mercilessly pounding into him, hitting his prostate, his nails digging into his thighs. At the same time's Yoko's impossibly tight hole was squeezing his cock ruthlessly. The fact that the fox was writhing in ecstasy underneath him did not help matters either. Yoko could not have formed a coherent sentence at that moment if his life depended on it; there was something so incredibly erotic about his shy, hesitant Suichi fucking him senseless. When the boy wrapped his hand around Yoko's cock and started pumping in time to his thrusts the fox nearly lost it completely. He screamed, his back arching, tears stinging his eyes again.

They were all so hard that it was not destined to last very long. To his absolute mortification, Yoko was the first to come, his seed surging over Suichi's hand. The orgasm was so powerful that the fox blacked out. Kuronue lost it a second later, coming with a shudder and throwing his head back. The feel of his hot essence inside him drove Suichi over the edge and he released his seed with a loud cry, collapsing onto Yoko's sweaty chest.

"That was…that was…" he panted as Kuronue rolled off.

Kuronue smirked, and tugged Yoko's ear gently until the fox growled and opened his eyes. "Well then, Yoko, did that live up to your fantasies?"

"Better," Yoko mumbled, resting his head on Kuronue's thigh and stroking Suichi's hair. He smiled. "None of my fantasies included Suichi's cock up _my_ ass." He grinned. The redhead blushed, hiding his face in Yoko's breast. Yoko ruffled his hair. "Thank you, Suichi," he whispered, kissing the boy's forehead.

Kuronue displaced them all momentarily by pulling the blankets out from under them and resettling it so they were all curled up under it. He caught Suichi before the boy could get out of his reach and kissed him one last time, pulling away with a smile he hoped conveyed his gratitude. Suichi smiled back, and curled up in Yoko's arms. The fox had already dropped back off to sleep. Kuronue buried his face in Yoko's hair and closed his eyes. _Thank you for allowing that, Suichi,_ he thought. He would delightedly welcome the opportunity to do this again, but if the redhead decided that once was all he was willing to do, the bat could live with it. He yawned, already drifting into sleep.


End file.
